Fists of Rage
by Rynsi
Summary: The bell's rung. So what'll you do, eh? You're in Kagami's territory now... Good luck, "Kona-chan".
1. Gettin' Murked

"Get up."

_"B...but..."_

"I said get the _**fuck **_up, bitch." Misao stated, firm and rough, running her fingers through her short brown hair. The little freshman was struggling to get up to her feet, so the upperclassman decided to help her out a little.

_**"AAHH!"**_

That kick smashed straight in the girl's pale cheek, opening the blistering gash she got from being beaten and bruised up just a few minutes ago.

"Hey, Misao...don't you think that's enough...?

You've been punching her in the head for almost a minute now; and before that, you were slamming her into the walls. And now this? She doesn't have the damn money. Just give her a few more days...like...a week or whatever."

_ "...ohhh..."_

"'A week'? That's too damn long! We're gonna be the ones that get it if Kagami doesn't get anything outta her _by _a week! We're not gonna do three days max!"

*sigh*

"...whatever you say, Misao. She won't touch me.

Just don't _kill the little fucker, or we'll have to go to her parents for the money...and I don't wanna have to deal with that."_

_ "...ohhhhh..."_

"I got ya, Tsu. I guess Kagami wouldn't want shit past three days anyway. That's when she starts to get...irritable."

_ "...ohhhhhhhhh..."_

"Mm. But like I said, she's not gonna come after me. At least, she won't try and _fight_ me."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Sister privileges. You don't gotta rub it in."

"Heh. Don't cry about it." Tsukasa smirked, leaning back against the girls' bathroom wall and folding her arms.

"I'm not.

Imma make sure this gets done fast anyway, because if we don't, she's still gonna be ragin'. Kagami hates it when she loses her stacks, but she gets PO'd when a little—"

_"Ohh...p-please...help...I can't...stay awake..."_

...

Now Misao was a little "irritated" herself. She slanted her furious olive eyes at the moaning underclassman—and kept her glare sharp. Piercing. All the younger girl could do was stare back up helplessly from the icy bathroom floor...and hope...

"...don't hit her, Misao. I don't feel like going to her parents with this."

...

"...you're gonna hit her aren't you."

"...hard."

The freshman's blue little eyes were open wide with fear now: she knew what was coming...but...all she needed was one more chance!

She'd pay Kagami back for the loan! She'd make it up to her!

...she wasn't able to even move, though...because when Misao was shaking her down for the money as she begged for just a little more time, holding and throwing her up against the white stalls and floor...her right elbow and left shin snapped.

But the girl, Yuri, tried to hold back her tears as much as she could. Neither Tsukasa nor Misao had noticed what the latter did to the little girl.

And neither would've cared anyway.

"Just...come on, Misao. Let her get up."

"Pft.

Alright." Misao replied. "I'll let her get up."

...

_ "...really...? ...th-thank...y—"_

_"And get us __**screwed because she holds out on us again! Yeah, because that's JUST WHAT KAGAMI WANTS, RIGHT?! TO HAVE HER TOP TWO LET SOME SISSY—"**_

_**EH?! MISAO STOMPED HER BROWN PUMPS DOWN ON THE YOUNG GIRL'S NOSE!**_

_**"—ASS—"**_

_**THEN SHE STOMPED AGAIN! MISAO STOMPED HARD RIGHT ON HER FOREHEAD! THE THICK BLOOD OOZING FROM THE OPEN WOUND SMEARED HER CHEEK AS THE GIRL BROUGHT HER FOOT BACK!**_

_**"—TRICK—!"**_

AND ANOTHER! MISAO BROUGHT HER HEEL DOWN ONE MORE TIME AS THE UNDERCLASSMAN COWERED UNDER HER! BUT IT WAS TOO LATE: HER LAST STOMP WAS—

...caught by Tsukasa...?

...

"What gives? I said I wasn't gonna fuck her up _that _much..."

"Which to you means they're on life support! The hell are you stompin' her out for?!"

"I'm just makin' sure she learns her lesson!" Misao yelled back, yanking her leg out of Tsukasa's hand.

...

And now she focused back on the other girl again. Poor little Yuri was still lying face down on the ground, her long, pink hair spread out over her head and the floor. But now she wasn't moving at all. She wasn't pleading either—and when Tsukasa noticed the small puddle of red flowing under her locks...catching them, staining them and the white floor...well, she knew the girl was either unconscious or...

...either way, she got her lesson alright...

"Is she ok?" asked Kagami's sister—a little half-heartedly; a little concerned: she definitely didn't wanna have to worry about getting Kagami's money through this child's parents. Too much hassle.

"She's breathing, isn't she?"

"...barely."

"Oh, stop bein' a baby."

Misao bent over and grabbed a fistful of Yuri's hair, nearly at her scalp, then dragged her over to the marble sinks, not even bothering to see what the girl looked like.

Still, the girl didn't try to struggle or even complain. She was obviously out cold.

The upperclassman put the girl's face in the sink and blasted the cold faucet in her hair. The blood from her face started spraying out into the water and onto the mirror but, again, Misao didn't care. She was only trying to wake the girl up.

...which wasn't working.

"Er...at least her breathing's steadier. Heh."

"Oh, shut up. Kagami's gonna kick us for this."

"Hmph, but you said _you _didn't have to worry."

"...well, she's gonna get someone to kick us for this. Unless we...get ready to get sued..."

"Man, you're as bitch-made as these other pussies."

...

"...wanna say that again?"

...

"Heh."

"Thought so."

_"Hah!_

You know I'm just kiddin' with ya."

"Mhm." Tsukasa smirked. "So, she's not gonna be waking up anytime soon, huh."

"I dunno. Got any ideas of what we can do?"

"That _doesn't _involve that cold water mess?"

"What, that's a bad idea?"

...

Tsukasa looked at her friend, unsure of how serious she was with that question...but Misao just shrugged back.

*sigh*

"I'll...just...sit her up." the pink-haired girl said while she raised Yuri's soaked head out of the sink—which had been stopped up by the child's face and hair. The salty, red-tinted water swirled smoothly down the small drain, soiling the sink with the damp, bloody ring it left behind.

Once Yuri was lifted away, Tsukasa turned her around and used her left hand to raise the unconscious child's chin.

Her nose was dislocated: broken in at least two places, and bent to the right. And a deep brownish fluid was starting to drip out her left nostril.

...

_(*sigh*_

_If it were some random, I wouldn't give a shit._

_But it's not. Couldn't she have waited until AFTER we got the money to OD?)_

_After a closer look, Tsukasa saw the girl's mouth was pretty much filled with blood._

_(Great...)_

"I'm gonna lay her down so she can recover better."

"Who the fuck are you, the nurse?"

"Nah, but I'm here, so I'm _not_ gonna end up takin' half the blame for your..._dumbassery!"_

"Huh? Hahah—who the hell even says that?!"

"Just...shut up. She's out, so she might choke on her blood if I don't turn her over."

"So she can drool it out. Right.

Gross."

Tsukasa rolled her eyes and did what she said she would. After lying Yuri on her side and stretching out her legs, she easily pushed the young girl's head forward with her right fingers, using her left hand for support.

Slowly, the glossy blood started to dribble down her chin and over the floor...or down from the floor, back into her white fuku. In a few seconds, it was completely ruined. The blood stains were bad enough. The shoeprints, dirt stains, and rips and tears in the fabric from Misao stomping, pulling, and throwing: those were the nails in the coffin for this shirt.

_(This is so fuckin' stupid.) _thought Tsukasa as she continued to hold the girl and stare at the pool of blood building up again._ (...but at least I didn't step in it like Misao did, though: my shoes are gonna be clean today. I'm sick of washing 'em out.)_

"Hey, give me something to wrap her up with."

"Gotcha." Misao replied. "Lemme just go—"

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

"...damn, it's the bell. 7:05.

She's gonna be here soon." Misao said—and after the smallest hesitation, she dashed for the door. "I'll clean this up fast. Just keep holding her."

"Right. Well...luckily you didn't break the glass again."

Misao noticed Tsukasa rolling her eyes once more, but actually replied this time: "I already got chewed out by Kagami for that. Why the hell would I do it again?

"True."

...

"So—"

"Weren't you leaving?"

"I—I just wanna know how bad it looks, geez! I'm going..."

"Hmm, let's see. You busted her lip really bad when you kicked her face in and threw her into the stall door. It's swollen and bleeding everywhere—and don't you see the skin hanging off? And you broke her nose pretty badly with those dumbass kicks. I don't even wanna see what you did to her forehead, though. That's just _leaking,_ but her hair's covering it—

—_hurry!"_

"Heh: _school nurse."_

**"HURRY UP."**

_"Ok, ok!_ I'm getting' the stuff, _damn!"_ Misao laughed. Tsukasa'd been looking at Yuri even as she yelled in frustration, but when she looked back up, the bathroom door was already slamming shut.

...looking back down at Yuri, she sighed.

_(What a mess..._

_..._

_...you're a fucking idiot, Yuri. They stopped you after school yesterday and told you had by tomorrow morning to get it together. But you didn't listen—even knowing all about who we are._

_It's not good to screw around with Kagami. Any one of us, really, but Kagami?_

_...just better be grateful we're giving you more time. Otherwise...)_

_"Konata! Hey, get outta bed! You're gonna be late for school!"_

...

...on a small pink bed, another upperclassman was frustrated. But apparently for another reason. As she gazed up at the cream ceiling of her petite room, rubbing and curling her blue strands in thought, she couldn't help but hate today.

...and this week.

...and this year.

_(No, it's this entire __**frickin' **__school. What's the point of getting up...nothing's gonna change anyway...)_


	2. Fresh Start

_7:30 in the morning._

Mid-June, late-dawn, and the first wave of Ryō High's students were pouring through the doors. The bright corridors gave some nice relief from the unusually warm sun glaring above, and the first draft of fresh air was pumping up many of the boys and girls—and teachers—for the start of what was definitely going to be yet another long school-week.

By now, there were at least a hundred people scattered about the halls or classrooms, mingling with each other or getting their things ready for the day. The curriculum began at 8:00, so there was plenty of time for students to prepare—though, most of the students there were only interested in the several new faces that were showing up. It was definitely a time where foreign students with different school calendars would come and transfer...but along with these new kids, many of these transfer students were from other districts.

...oddly enough...

In fact, two junior boys were busy staring at a new kid who was busy talking to a certain girl from earlier. The transfer, tanned from his short break, looked as if he were fifteen or sixteen, and he stood casually as he kept his almond-brown eyes on the girl he was speaking to. His matching brown hair, short and tapered back just slight, topped him at around six feet: more than a foot over his converser.

One of the upperclassmen, a fair kid around 5'5, nodded his round face in the direction of the other pair. He rubbed a finger against his right ear, deep in thought, and he wondered out loud to his friend beside him:

"Hey, who's the new kid? Just talkin' it up like he's not even nervous at all. When I was a freshman here, I was watching myself, man."

"I dunno." the friend replied. But he's dumb for sure, comin' here in the first place.

Pft. Out of all the schools..."

"Yeah, he's pretty dumb if he thinks he knows what's goin' on here...but he's probably got no clue. Think we should warn him?"

"...nah. Every time we get some transfers, they usually know their place or find out who not to fuck with by watching others get messed up.

...either that or they're good enough to roll with the gang. Which I'm pretty sure he's not. Just another idiot who chose the wrong school."

"Heh, but by now, if you don't know what's goin' on here, you've gotta be living under a rock or something, right? I mean, who _doesn't _know about Kagami and her glorified clique?

"True. Then I guess he's just a idiot if he's from around here."

"Yeah, well, it's 7:33. Kagami's gonna be here soon, so...we'll see what happens, when it happens."

"Mm."

Further down the sparkling beige floor, past the T and in a new hallway, the girl and guy were still talking in the midst of their peers, oblivious to all of them.

"—well, I can't really say you're gonna like it here, man...it's pretty rough. I haven't gotten into anything with the Hiiragi gang, but I've seen a lot of students fall deep, and trust me: when you fall in it, you _can't _get out. Lucky for me, I'm almost done after this year...but since you're a 1st-year, you don't wanna rush things and get someone mad by accident.

Believe me, bro: it's _not _worth it."

...

"...hmm..."

The transfer sighed, staring at the girl's grey stockings for a moment, not caring that a few boys were looking at him, thinking he was trying—and failing—to make a move. He was considering the girl's advice fairly well, nodding with his eyes closed in acknowledgment. But when he brought his head up a little to face the girl, he found himself disagreeing some...

"I get what you're saying. I heard a lot bad things about this place even though the academic standards are excellent...private school."

"Yeah, for sure."

...

"But, really—"

"Konata! Hi!"

...until he was interrupted. The new kid and Konata both turned down the hall to see the source of the noise on their right, and once Konata'd turned, she brushed back the blue hair that'd wrapped around her neck. The innocent voice came from Konata's best friend, the one she knew for three years now, since she started high school.

"Oh, hey, Miyuki. What's up?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary...aside from all of these new—oh, hi! Sorry, I didn't notice you there!"

_(I was standing right next to her.) _the boy thought as he nodded a bit. He was barely managing a fake smile, but really, he was sizing this student up just as he did with her friend before.

Her posture was perfect...and so was Konata's for that matter, but unlike Konata, she was nearly the transfer's height, only around a couple inches below his 5'8. And unlike Konata again, Miyuki wasn't playing with her long hair. Even still, the thin pink strands waved easily as she politely turned from him to Konata.

"No problem."

"Eh, right." Konata remembered: she hadn't introduced him yet. "This is Tadashi. He's a transfer from Norizawa High. A second year."

"Oh, you're a second year?"

"Erm...yeah." Tadashi replied...and though he didn't realize it...his cheeks started to flush red as he tried to look away from the violet eyes behind her lenses.

"That's nice." she smiled. "I'm not very sure why you would want to transfer to _this_ school, but if you know what it's about, I really do hope you can enjoy it..."

...

"...I..."

...

_(Wait a sec: so what grade's she in?)_

"...actually, what grades are both of you in?" he said.

"We're third years." Miyuki told him while Konata looked on.

"'Third years'?

Hmph, so you're both, like, a year older than me?"

"If you're 15," Konata teased, "I'm two over you, heheh—

—oh, wait, but yeah...what were you gonna say?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Like, you sounded like you didn't agree with me."

...

"...oh...right."

Miyuki noticed Tadashi look down at the ground and away from Konata. But what she didn't know was he was trying to gather his words. It was a habit of his he'd yet to tell anyone about, so the girl decided to ask him:

"What's the matter? Are you feeling well?"

After all, he couldn't have gotten into trouble already: it was only his first day, and classes had not even begun.

"I'm fine." he said, raising his head. "That's just something I do when I'm thinking...bad habit.

But, yeah...I remember now."

"Sorry, Tadashi...but may I ask what were you and Konata discussing?"

"I'll tell ya." Konata interrupted—since it seemed something about the subject was pretty serious to her. The short junior looked sternly at her friend, and went silent for a brief moment...

...and in that moment, Miyuki knew they were discussing something important indeed. Without even realizing it, she tuned out the dozens of other footsteps, clanging lockers, and laughing and chatting kids in the hallway.

She focused only on Konata's words...by now having a feeling of what those words would be.

...

"...what's the time now?" Konata asked.

"7:42. The gang'll be here in about eight minutes."

"Good, since they're not allowed to be here before 7:50: ten minutes before school starts. Remember that, Tadashi, if you have anything you ever want to do."

"_Yes, but keep it down, still..." _Miyuki pleaded, bringing her voice down to a whisper._ "There might be others..."_

...

"...right." Konata nodded. "Sorry, forgot..."

Then, turning to Tadashi, she explained softly: _"Some of the kids here aren't in the Hiiragi Gang but get bribed or forced to spy on regular Joes like us, in case we say anything out of line or interesting to them._

_Miyuki knows a few kids who got reported without even knowing. Their parents ended up moving...but no one saw what happened to the kids before that or ever since..."_

Miyuki acknowledged everything Konata said as right, nodding, and only adding one extra warning to their new schoolmate: _"You also don't want to be seen whispering by any of Kagami's gang, though. Act normally whenever they're around._

_But as for the snoopers spying on us need proof before informing anyone—so it's not a witch hunt—such as a phone, so merely seeing us whisper isn't enough."_

_..._

"_Sheesh, all these caveats." _Tadashi sighed as he tried to wrap his head around it all.

"It's a lot, isn't it?" Miyuki smiled, speaking up again. The way she said that...it was almost as if she'd grown used to the gang. And since she was never punished for anything along with Konata, that may have been part of the reason.

"Yeah, but..." Tadashi started—although he stopped, deciding where he was going necessitated a softer tone. _"...how can I even tell who's in the gang?"_

Konata smirked at the kid's ignorance.

"_Two words: black rings."_

"'_Black rings'?"_

"_Mhm. Every member of Kagami's gang's required to wear at least one black earring or finger ring before entering the school—so they can tell them apart. Otherwise, they'll get kicked out. That's how you know who you don't wanna mess with."_

_..._

"_...but..._

_..._

_...well, thanks."_

"_No problem. Just keep safe."_

"_But what I was saying, though...before Ms. Miyuki came..."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

Both of the girls waited for what Tadashi was about to say, staring directly at him.

_..._

_..._

_..._

"_...I'm gonna take 'em on, Konata._ _There's no other way we can stop this unless someone else challenges them. ...all the things I've heard about the Hiiragi gang...and I've never got the chance to see for myself._

_But believe me: Every single one of us; everyone who's not in this school right now wants to put a stop to these...these __**crimes**__._

_xIt's the reason you see so many transfer students today. And you'll see 'em all summer: they're either just interested in what's going on here, wanting to experience the atmosphere personally, or...they're like me._

_There's a small few who have no idea what's going on or don't believe it—but out of the hundred or so kids here, that only makes up...like ten._

_Those of us who want to help you all out...be a solution..._

_..._

_...we know about the danger. We're not gonna stop no matter how dangerous you tell us it is._

_I'm sorry, Konata. I know you mean well, but...well, I didn't come here for nothing. I've gotta beat Kagami since none of you other vets can—and if I don't, one of the new kids will...or at least we'll try."_

...

The boy felt a sudden need to look away from the upperclassmen now.

And so he did-but it was out of embarrassment this time.

For some reason, he felt Konata was going to be upset at him.

Yet, as the girl stared back...rather disappointingly...it was _Miyuki_ who replied instead.  
_  
__"And how do you plan to stop anyone? There are over a hundred members of the Hiiragi gang..."_

That was an interesting question. Really legit, and...he was actually rather surprised it hadn't been brought up before.

It was definitely something to make him face the two again.

_"...well...I actually have a 2nd degree red belt in taekwondo—but I'm getting my black belt next month. And I have a friend from another school who's coming here during our lunch break to help me out._

_He's a 3rd degree black belt, going 4th next year, and only a__** senior**__-doesn't mind getting punished for skipping school either. I told him I'd pay him back for taking the heat. W sparred with each other a lot: together, we're not gonna lose."_

"_I see."_

"So, what about you? Do you train in a martial art too?"

"_No, no, that's not it!" _she said while sharing her head, whispering louder._ "Only Konata does martial arts. I...do daily walks, if that counts...heheheh..."_

"_Oh. Well, I suppose you don't have to be proficient in a martial art to stand a chance against these thugs...although it can really help...heh..."_

Konata rolled her eyes as he turned his towards the floor. Even though he wasn't blushing just yet, the junior knew a love-struck fool when she saw one for sure.

...but even she had to raise her brows in a bit of surprised approval: he recovered pretty quickly, bringing his eyes back to Miyuki and picking up his tone.

"_Not why I started, though: I began my training three years ago. And it was only during the middle of my freshman year that I found out what's going on here. That's why I transferred, so I could get 'em while they were high on their power, unfocused: the school year's almost over, after all. And that's why a lot of others have transferred to, I think._

_And you, Konata? Are you a black belt?"_

_..._

The girl who'd been glaring this entire time finally closed her eyes and sighed...

...gave up...since it didn't look like this guy was going to get it at all.

"_I'm a 2nd degree in karate. Shotokan—but it doesn't make any difference. I'd have to be __**crazy **__to go at Kagami just because I have a black belt. They really don't mean anything, man. I'm so for real right now..."_

"_And have you ever tried to fight any of 'em? Like when you saw someone being hurt or harassed? Or did you just stand by and watch?"_

_..._

"_...what do you think?" _she replied, looking insulted by the question. _"I'd __**never **__go up against them. They're a group, man. A 'gang'. Even if I beat down one of their grunt causin' trouble, people are gonna spread the word, and I'll be marked. I can't win against a whole—"_

"_That's why we've gotta fight together; don't you get it? If we can all join up, we'd outnumber—"_

"_Forget it. You just don't understand. Kagami alone is strong enough to crush most of the school without breaking a sweat, and the leftover martial artists and good brawlers won't bother her at all. Her younger sister could probably do just as good. I've never seen either of them get hurt by anyone in school, even on accident. No one has._

_...do you know how insane that is? I'm not gonna waste my time worrying about them—and by 'my time,' I mean 'my life'. As a black belt, I know my limits and what I need to improve on. And I know I'm nowhere near being able to challenge those guys."_

"_Are you saying I'm ignorant because I'm not a black belt yet?"_

"_I don't care what belt you are. Belts don't matter with these guys. This isn't your dojo, man. Belts are only a vague gauge here in the real world. I learned that upfront...and you will too._

_But I can't stop you...I just hope you don't throw your life away...and that's exactly how it'll end for... you if you cross the line. Their line."_

_..._

Tadashi looked down. Konata had this tone of defeat in her voice that he...just couldn't explain—and if she was even a 2nd degree black belt in karate...

_(...I wonder how fearfully the normal kids are living..._

_..._

_..._

_...yeah. I've got to stop this. There really is no other way at all.)_

_..._

"_...you sound like you've already given up, Konata."_

"_...maybe I have._

_Doesn't matter, though. Miyuki and I are still here...unlike some of these guys...and we're nearly out. Some of the smart seniors are almost done with it for good. No way I'm throwing away my life to __**try **__and beat Kagami and her gang."_

"_...hm..."_

_..._

"_...Konata...Tadashi...wait..."_

Miyuki's voice was full of quivering...like she'd just seen a ghost. The young girl wasn't whispering anymore, but it was probably because she was too nervous to remember. Her tone fell softer and her face fell paler as she barely got her next words out.

"..._they're here."_

"Ah—right!" her friend said. "Don't say anything Tadashi. Don't move in the middle of the hall, don't touch any lockers or anything. Just stand and watch once they come in."

"Fine. I'll stand here and do nothing. But don't expect me to stay silent later today."

_(Trust me: you won't want to.)_

7:50. Just 10 more minutes before the start of classes.

As for now, though, it was time for the elites to make their entrance. Every day, around this moment, a few hundred students wearing black and onyx jewelry, stepped through entrance doors and halls all across the school. From the high-ranking officers of the gang to its lowliest, new inductees, airs of confidence swirled all about them.

And for good reason, no doubt: once one had entered_ this_ clique, they practically had all the power they could've ever asked for.

All the students who had arrived before 7:50 were the regulars. They had nothing to do with the gang unless they were agents, or "snoopers," as the regular students called them-and most weren't.

Well, although agents were hated by all the regulars, they were untouchable, having gang affiliations. Only school staff and those actually in the gang could punish them for any reason. And not even the staff of Ryō High could interfere with the gang's matters: they were all being tracked.

Its members weren't just untouchable: their influences reached throughout the school and beyond. To all the outsiders, their appearances alone demanded the utmost respect and awe. The regular students stopped all they were doing as soon as they saw their superiors walking in...and they paid their daily respects, watched in humbled silence as the gang members passed by.

Yet, despite the positions and power these elites had over the normal kids, none of them attacked, taunted, or even paid much attention to their weaker peers. The most any of the members did was smirk in arrogance.

...and that was very unusual...because something was bizarrely calm about this morning, when all others were filled with panic and chaos...

...

...perhaps Kagami had said something...

...

...but, whatever the cause was, more and more of the regular students noticed soon enough.

_(They aren't...hitting anyone yet...?) _thought a young transfer with long red hair. As the girl stood at her locker next to the building's main entrance, her blue eyes anxiously flitted from one gang member to another-and...she didn't see any problems at all...

Farther along the hallway and down the right cross, another kid noticed an older kid coming up beside him. The guy had a black flattop he'd just ruffled through with the brown pick in his pocket. He wore the same black uniform and required of all the male students.

He also wore a black, plastic ring on his left hand.

_(Oh crap!)_

The younger boy shifted back, his head sweating...holding his side...

...wincing. Apparently, he had a bad encounter with an irritated gangster

before...

_..._

_(...did he come to...)_

...

...but the other kid didn't pay him any attention In fact, almost as soon as the blond boy started worrying, the gangster was rustling through his locker, looking for supplies.

It was almost as if they were both on the same level...and the regular couldn't help but stare...

_..._

_..._

_..._

_(...so...he's...not gonna...)_

_..._

"What're you staring at?"

"Ah-I was just...

_...sorry..."_

...

"Pft."

The older kid turned back to what was more important: his binder.

All the way on the other side of school, Konata and Miyuki recognized the same things as everyone else. Students stood timidly and averted their gazes to the floor as their betters walked by-but unlike every other day up until now, none of them made any hostile moves.

Gradually, the airs of confidence exuded by the students in the gang was matched by the growing feelings of relief from the average kids.

What Konata, Miyuki, and especially Tadashi saw, though, few other students did: those airs of confidence weren't faltering in the slightest.

And for the majority of students to not have seen this...

_(It's real dangerous, man..._

_...Kagami or Tsukasa or Misao...one of those high-ranks must've said something to keep the others in line..._

_...but if we start to get too comfortable and cocky...and whoever called this thing on calls it off...all hell's gonna break loose._

_We've gotta stay in line even if it looks alright now. No matter what.)_

"I can't believe I had to do that.

And it's all because _you_ two fuckers screwed everything up...

Now I've gotta finish calling off all our after-activities until we get this shit sorted out..."

"Kagami, if it's okay for me to sp—"

_"Shut the fuck up, Misao! Tsukasa should've stopped you, but it's __**especially **__your fault! If it wasn't for the fact that you owe for killing that girl and forcing ME to have to pay the fucking family off since __**YOU **__decided to leave your bloodprints out while_ _**the FUCKING CAMERA...**_

_**...DAMMIT!"**_

"Please, sis'...it'll be fine. I'll take care of the security guard. Since he hasn't got a word out to anyone but us yet, I won't let him blackmail you."

"Ugh, and then what'll we say when his body's found? Even if you claim it was an accident, that'll be the end of our rep."

"Trust me: He won't be found." Tsukasa replied. "I hate dealing with traitors...

_..._

_...but I love dealing with traitors."_

With those words, Kagami nodded and Tsukasa stepped opened the door of the black limo, stepping out the back. Ryō High was right down the block.

...

...but now, Kagami turned her stare back on her last Misao, her lavender lasers making the girl face sweat. Even still, the girl said nothing...and yet Misao knew exactly what was on her mind.

"Listen, Kagami—"

_"'Listen, Kagami'."_

"Uh—uh, I didn't...um...mean it like that. Sorry, I just...

...I—I can fix this, I mean—"

_"No, you can't."_

"Please, just gimme a chance! I know you're mad...furious! But I can—"

_"Ah, __**God.**__ I'm so lucky my sisters can't hear you right now, else they'd be laughing at me so fucking hard..."_

"But I—"

_"Look, Misao..._

_..._

_*sigh*_

...I'm gonna try not to yell at you. I need to stay calm: a calm mind is a prepared mind. And a prepared mind can react to opposition.

I'll be lax with you...for now. But I want you to comply with a few requests of mine in return."

"Sure, sure—anything you say, I'll do it." Misao nodded; there was still a hint of worry in her tone...though not as much as before.

"Good."

Kagami closed her eyes and sighed again before she answered—nearly lounged back in her chair, actually.

...

"Now, this is what I want you to do:

For one, stop acting so scared. Whenever Tsukasa snafus something I've got set—which is _exceptionally_ rare—, she takes the penalty like a man instead of pleading and trying to avoid it. Her attitude's what's making her so prudent and sharp-witted...

...and it's _not _because she's my sister. If she did what you did today, I'd more likely than not be talking to her the exact same way. It's because I want you to _learn _from your slip-ups.

And I don't know _why _you killed her, but it wasn't called for at all. I don't want you to put your hands on _anyone _this week. No matter what they do; you need to cool the hell off. Got it so far?"

"Yes, Kagami...I understand completely..."

"Mm—and two more things:

The first is _you _have to present the money to that girl's family and apologize to her. I'll hand the envelope, along with her address, after school. Make sure your apology isn't garbage, but give an excuse as to why she died. The last thing I want is for the family to get pissed, take it to the district, and have everything blow up.

_..._

_...and if you __**have**__ to..._

_..._

_...put on some gloves."_

"I got ya. Don't worry: I'll take care of it."

"Okay then...and last is because you can't pay me back the fee I've gotta give you. I know a hundred thousand's hard to procure..." Misao's boss teased.

Then, brushing back her lilac locks, she grew serious.

"...and _I _don't need your help with anything other than enforcing for now. I let you know when I do need you...so I want you to report to Tsukasa in the meantime."

_"Ah—"_

"I'm not done. Report to her before me, and she'll report to me. You're no longer my seconds-in-command: she's the 2nd, and you're 3rd. You're both still directly under me, but treat her as if she _is _me. And tell her everything I've told you.

Understand?"

_..._

_"...yes._

_...I understand..." _the girl...muttered.

And she said nothing more. Misao hung her head low, ashamed and embarrassed in front of her leader.

...

Kagami didn't have time for pity, though.

"Alright.

Well, you can step out now. This restriction's permanent, by the way...since Tsukasa's never made a mistake this awful. Rest assured I would've demoted her the same way if you'd traded places—but that's not the case."

_"...right..."_

"Mm. Like I said: dismissed."

So, in a daze, Misao scooted out of the limo without another word, her boss closing the door behind her so she could finish her personal work. She started walking over to the school.

To Tsukasa. Misao wasn't going to reach the front doors for a couple minutes. She wasn't going to enjoy speaking to Tsukasa once she got in, though.

...she really hated those "told you so" eyes...


	3. Situations

The halls were full of weaklings. Normal students who had no business being anywhere near the gang unless they were wanted. Hundreds of uniformed kids were silent where they stood, because those gang members where had walked in Ryō High.

They were getting stared down hard, angry eyes on them for no other reason other than…

…well, since Kagami said she'd personally fuck up anyone who got aggressive this morning—and until further notice.

But at least the morning was now underway. For 7:50, most of the school was there, and most of the gang too. Even those high-ranks that were close to Kagami had just pushed in through the main and side doors, seeing dozens of confused and fearful faces greeting them. The high-ranks didn't care, though: Kagami and her lieutenants had already told them what was happening.

Only a few of late arrivals were left out. Kids who got in only a few minutes before the bell, not worrying since they were at the top of the chain.

Kids like...a tanned 2nd-year: a boy with long, straight hair, a smooth almond face and deep red eyes…and a cockyass smirk on his face.

But that was normal. Life was good if you got this far. And he knew it. As he chilled outside the main doors on the brick wall, it was pretty apparent he was the type that'd wait out the clock as long as possible...around ten minutes now...heading in just before the second bell…and he was the type that'd casually flag down one of the jogging lieutenants with only a minute before the first class.

"Hey, Tsukasa—"

"What's up." she replied, stopping next to him.

The girl obviously didn't want to talk right now. It was pretty obvious that she was in a hurry, and while she tugged impatiently on the yellow bow in her short hair, Slacker here was able to see that.

He nervously tried to find his words, but Tsukasa wasn't going to stand out here all day. The regular kids were finally growing spines and starting to move, and in just a couple minutes, Kagami would order the teachers to take attendance...

"...I was...just wondering when this ban's gonna be over. Not saying I'm pressed for it or anything; just curious since it's so sudden."

"If everything's good, it'll be over by noon. Otherwise, Kagami'll extend it over the intercom sometime before."

"Ah, thanks. Good to know…got some blast I wanna sell."

"That's cool; keep it to yourself for 1st period."

"I know, I know."

"And come on!" she said—suddenly, she started running, through the doors and down the hall. "We're late!"

Both their classes were on the 3rd floor…not much time to screw around. And the guy didn't know why, but he ran along with her. He didn't pay attention to the few still in the hallway looking at him. He was in the same class as Tsukasa, but she was usually at least 10 minutes ahead of the bell, if not more.

...

So then...

...

"H-hey!" he yelled from the base of the south stairwell...

...she was already at the top.

_(Damn, she's fast! But why's she in such a hurry? I mean, __**I'd **__have a problem if I came late, but she's Kagami's freakin' sister! She can practically just walk in whenever she wants!)_

The boy wasn't gonna be able to catch up to Tsukasa; he could barely see her as he neared the top of the steps: _she_ was walking in their homeroom on the far left side of the floor.

"Hey-"

_(Fuck, man!_

_...gotta calm down though, before I walk in. I've gotta keep up my image.)_

Yeah, that wasn't the right composure for one of Hiiragi's men, let alone of the tops. Even if he'd just gotten smoked by a girl, it wasn't that big a deal. Tsukasa wasn't ranked so highly for nothing-and the "image" the guy needed to protect wasn't just his own. People like him reflected on the composure of the entire gang.

Since he realized that, he let out a sigh and walked into the full classroom, waving high to the teacher there as he passed through the door. The old man smiled as the kid went by, but beneath that smile was some _serious, __**serious disgust**_.

Like every other teacher held hostage by the Hiiragi family's regime, he loathed every single gang member with a built-up, red-hot passion, and wanted every member of the Hiiragi family to burn slowly as they were tied screaming and lowered into the hottest depths of Hell.

Of course, he couldn't let anyone know how he felt, or else he'd have lost his job then...if he was lucky, that is.

Gramps put on a good facial facade, though. Made it hard for anyone to know he was actually thinking something along the lines of _(Not another half-hour with this damn brat again.)_Which was...honestly, pretty mild compared to usual. Perhaps he was feeling a little better this morning, what with the unusual lack of violence.

And of course, since the boy had no idea what was being thought about him, he sat in the empty seat to the right of Tsukasa.

"Tsu, so what was the rush all about?"

_***Attention teachers: Classes have officially begun, and you may now lock your doors and take attendances. Any students caught roaming the halls without a permit will be detained.***_

Suddenly, the boy sat up and froze.

That announcement came from the boss herself. Slacker had a lot of status, sure, but even his confidence withered away before Kagami's anger. He wasn't normally afraid of being late for class...then again, because of his confidence, he'd never cut it close like this before.

_(...man, that was too close..._

_...if I hadn't chased Tsukasa down here, I probably would've been locked out...)_

_..._

_(...well, that's sis.)_ the lieutenant thought. _(Don't wanna interrupt the teacher, so...)_

"Too much to explain here." she said as the man walked up to the board. "I'll tell you later, Shouto."

...

"...hmph...'course."

_(Right...) the kid thought as he leaned back in his seat, hands clasped on his hair. ('Later' as in 'after school, I bet-even though we've got three more classes together..._

_...but since she answered like...that...knew I was right. There_ is _something goin' on behind the scenes...probably drama..._)

The teacher was ready to begin now. When he faced the lounging class, the majority sat up in their seats and started reaching around their desks for their pen, pencils, and texts. They knew the drill.

"Alright, class. Good morning-today's going to be another regular day, so unless anyone has questions from Friday, I'd like you all to..."

...but...already, it _wasn't_ another regular day.

* * *

**Homeroom (Class 2-B, 8:01)**

* * *

_(Shoot. I left my pens at home when I unpacked...)_

_"Hey, Minoru..."_

_"Hm?"_

"Konata, what are you doing?" Nanako asked as she stared the girl down with piercing green eyes. Konata wasn't usually the type to cause trouble in class, and with the first semester nearly finished, she wanted things to stay that way.

"Eh, nothing..." Konata replied, sounding a bit fearful of the scowling teacher. "...I was just gonna ask if I could borrow his pen, because I left mine..."

"Alright, and then get back to checking your classmate's work like everyone else is doing."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, here you go." said the tanned, older boy to her right. His short spiky hair waved a bit as he reached across to hand his spare blue.

Konata nodded as she took the pen.

"Thanks."

And then, she briefly looked at the class around her. Nanako Kuroi was just watching all of the students, standing there in front of the class with her white work-suit, red tie-wagging her yellow ponytail back and forth. This stupid assignment only had a few minutes left, at least. Her friend Miyuki wasn't laughing but focusing on the corrections-not surprising.

...

...but when Konata glanced more, she saw no one else had let out even a chuckle...or looked up from their homework sheets unless it was for the answers on the board.

_(More than 20 kids here..._

_..._

_...and not one of 'em's saying anything. It's been going on like this all year..._

_...if it's not the Kagami and her fucking thugs holding us down, it's these pathetic teachers taking it out on us that they're nothing but whipped punks even though they're adults..._

_I know we've got Kuroi for 1st Period too, and she wants the grading done by then, but we aren't even supposed to be working in homeroom! Of course she'd choose today to give us this extra crap...probably means we're gonna have extra classwork and homework today too...)_

The girl wanted to put her head down as she got to copying the board and correcting this "Yamada Kazuka's" answers...but Nanoko would've definitely said something if she accidentally looked tired.

_(Damn...I hate this place __**so much...**_

_..._

_...and...done.)_

One more look around the class...and she saw the rest of her peers were still making corrections. She, though, was sure she'd graded her assigned paper right. Yamada Kazuka had earned an 85%.

_(Not bad..._

_..._

_...so what now. I just wait here, don't I?_

_*sigh*_

_There's never anything to do at this school unless you're in the Hiiragi gang. And I wouldn't be able to make the cut even if I wanted to._

_..._

_...speaking of which...I wonder how Takashi's doing. Saw him head outta class a few minutes ago...not sure why he came upstairs __**here, **__though..._

_..._

_...hope he's not doing anything stupid...)_

Miyuki was nearly done with the last three questions on her sheet, and when marked them all off as correct, she felt relieved: s little calculating and it turned out her peer had gotten a 90%. Now that Miyuki was done for now, she could put her name on the bottom paper as the grader and not feel guilty about giving her a B by one or two questions.

Once she did that, though, she took a quick look behind her...not facing anything in particular-but she had her eyes on Konata for a split second to see what her friend was up to.

And the girl was just staring out the open door on their left side of the classroom...yet no one was there. No gang members; no teachers...so, was she worried about something?

...

_(...wait!_

_...that Takashi student left his class right as we started working, didn't he?)_

Another glance, this time to the wall on the far right, and Miyuki saw on the clock: 8:15. Time had flown by pretty fast; a shame there was still another fifteen minutes left.

Although, that wasn't the problem here...

_(...it's been nearly 20 minutes and Konata's still looking outside? Did we just miss him come back down? Or did he lie to his teacher and excuse himself to...)_

One more time, Miyuki turned her head back around. This time, though, her rose-shaded eyes met Konata's discouraged gaze.

And the girl just shook her head.

...

_(But...he didn't seem __**that **__crazy...!)_

* * *

**1st Period (4th Floor, Boys' Bathroom, 8:46)**

* * *

"Yeah, it's stupid: had to show that idiot my pass _and_ tell him why I going to the top floor instead of the 1st floor."

"_Takashi. Really. You could've just gone to the 2nd or 1st Floor and avoided being seen. Then you wouldn't've had to deal with those assholes."_

"I know, I know. But if I was seen sneaking around, I'd look suspicious even with a bathroom pass. And a...heh, well, pretty girl told me the reception was better up here, so..."

"'_Pretty girl'?"_

"Mhm."

...

"...uh, you can't just cut it off like that."

"But you've already got a girl, don't you? What do you care?"

"Just curious, since you're tryna play catch-up, heh."

...

"Now tell, bro."

"She's just...kinda short." Takashi sighed. "Long, blue hair. Slight tan.

...

...ahoge..."

"_The fuck?"_

Yeah...and don't ask why."

"_Whatever; so you're into otaku now."_

"I'm pretty sure I never said I was _into_ her. Just said she was pretty. 'Pretty cute'."

"_My ass is pretty cute. You like her."_

"Yeah. Whatever. She's also on the 3rd floor and I didn't want her to see me 'cause the bathroom's past her classroom, I think. So I just took the stairs past her floor to be sure..."

...

"...yep."

...

"...talk your shit later: we got some planning to start—_wait—_

"Why're you whispering all of a s—"

"_Sorry, gotta mute you a sec." _the transfer hastily murmured while running in one of the nearby stalls.

Although...the height of those beige-colored doors wasn't helping to hide his presence much...

_(None of these damn things ever reach the ground..._

_...but at least I can see a little who's coming in. And when they're gone._

_..._

_...hm..._

_...some kid with the normal uniform on.) _Takashi thought as he pretended to sit on the toilet seat. _(Can't see if he has any of black jewelry Konata was talking about, though._

_...I'd crouch since the floors are probably still clean...but if I'm seen, it could be one of those 'snoopers' Miss Miyuki warned me about..._

_..._

_...guess it's safest to just stay here until I see him leave.)_

Before the kid began to ask himself why this guy was starting to look like he was just hanging around too, he heard the sound of rushing water and the clank of a handle. Right after that clank, a tearing sound, and a moment later, the bathroom door shut.

Takashi was too busy sitting up on the porcelain lid to see what exactly happened just then, but he got the gist of it anyway.

_(...so annoying. He was probably grooming or whatever._

_..._

_...hope Yusuke didn't hang up...)_the boy thought as he suddenly turned back to his cell phone, unmuting it.

_(Good he's still on.)_

"Hey, sorry about that. Someone walked in and almost caught me. I had to run in a stall and wait 'em out."

"_No problem."_

"So, where were we? I forgot."

"_We were talkin' about the plan."_

"Oh, right. So, first off, did you find anybody else to join us?"

"_Nah, man...sorry. I've asked, but no one here wants to get involved. I mean, I had to tell them what they'd be getting into."_

"Hmm...none of 'em could fight then?"

"_Some could, but everyone knows how vicious that gang is. I couldn't convince even the black belts to come."_

...

"...damn, man. I could've gotten at least _one_ person..."

"_Oh, really?"_

"Eh, whatever. Turns out there're a few in my class who wanna fight." Takashi smirked.

"There are? How good are they?"

"Not as good as you, I think, but they're not that bad. There's three of 'em, and I already caught 'em up with what we're gonna do. They'll come out while we're already fighting."

"While we're fighting? Whaddya mean?" his friend asked.

"So, this is how it is: Around lunch time, we're gonna walk into a classroom and demand to know where Kagami is. And when they tell us, we're gonna challenge her, beat her ass, and then –"

"Take over?"

"No...break that shit up. People'll always gonna abuse their power if there's a gang, Yusuke. That's why we've gotta end it, man."

"I get ya. Just wondering what you were gonna do. It's your school now after all.

So where should I meet you?"

"I..._think_ Kagami's a 2nd year..." Takashi started...but everything transfers and outsiders like him knew about Kagami was based on gossip from regulars. He hadn't actually talked to anyone from the gang yet at all, besides that one dude who stopped him on the way up here. "...she should be on the 3rd floor, then."

"A 2nd-year, huh. That's pretty amazing, considering she's the leader of all this."

"I know...

...but she's still only one person. We can take her if we team up."

"Right—so what time is your lunch period?"

"...um...like, noon."

"Got it. So that's class 2-what?"

"I dunno exactly what class it is. There's only three, though, so we can just pick one at random."

"Alright, but try and scope 'em all out first." Yusuke suggested. "I don't wanna have to deal with a bunch of weak guards before getting to the real deal. That's tiring."

"'K, I'll go for the room with the fewest of those grunts, but if Kagami's not there, I still gotta announce out loud what I'm doing so the other three can hear and we can get it started faster. We've only got about 30 minutes. After that, if I'm not in class and we were seen together, it won't look good."

"No problem. Just make it easy on us to start out. I'll be over there at noon; maybe at most couple minutes late.

...

...and, uh, you might wanna get back to class soon. Or else someone might come and look for ya."

"Ah—right.

Cool, then...I'll see you on the 3rd floor."

"Ok, take care."

* * *

**2nd Period (Cellar Staircase, 10:02)**

* * *

Tsukasa had been reading in her last period class just a few minutes ago: now she was at the school's very bottom floor. If one could call it a floor, anyway. Underground, it was frigid and almost completely dim. The sparse fluorescent bulbs barely showed the way. The spiraling stone staircase made overt clacks with each downward step the lieutenant took.

Even though she'd been here many times before, this eerie atmosphere wasn't getting any more comfortable for her.

_(*sigh*_

_It's still hard to believe I actually have a sister...__**a twin **__who's this cool with hanging out in a dungeon...)_

...

...at last, though, after a few minutes of mindless descent, she'd finally reached the secluded cellar. In this small, private room, a handful of fluorescent lights surrounded the room. The purple glow blended well with everything in sight. A few bookcases were lined on the corners of the stone chamber, shining dimly so Tsukasa could see the many white binders inside, almost all of them full of papers and folders—information on the students attending the school, no doubt.

A little farther in...nothing. The room was nearly empty: all the better to calm the one in it...and weird out Tsukasa.

_(I swear, I'll never get used to this place...)_

And a few feet farther center: a small, wooden desk and wooden chair—and Kagami.

Kagami Hiiragi.

She was working on _something, _upright in her chair, nonchalantly penning on one of the several papers stacked on the face of her desk.

But although Tsukasa was standing right in front of this desk, Kagami ignored her presence.

The older sister noticed, of course, from the loud sounds she heard...but whatever she was writing right now seemed more important. With a gleaming purple pigtail in her right hand, she gently tugged as it brushed her seat. At the same time, she finished writing out one last sentence.

...

Then, once she'd finished, she looked up.

...

"Hey." Tsukasa joked.

She'd been standing in place for about a minute now; she'd been growing a little agitated too.

"What's up." Kagami said with a rather indifferent tone.

This atmosphere...even though Kagami had called her down in the middle of class, they were conversing as if Tsukasa'd just walked in on Kagami watching TV at home...

"...well...what did you need?"

"You to do what you said you would."

"I said I'd get to it. I won't let him get away. But can't I do it during the—"

"See, here's the thing: I forgot the custodian was taking the next couple of days off starting today. He said last week that he'd work few hours today for a little more pay, but he's gonna be leaving during the lunch break and his location's gonna be erratic. I think he's only cleaning the places he thinks are most problematic for him. But I don't know where e is now."

...

"...great.

...it's not like you to forget stuff like this."

"Hey, I've got a lot on my plate this week!" Kagami yelled. "And besides, you didn't stop Misao, so you're partly to blame here.

_I'm_ the one who's _really_ paying after all...no pun intended."

"And what is she doing?"

"Speaking of which, I want you to go see if you can find her before the break period's over. After you take care of our little snitch.

And don't worry: I'll provide you with a written excuse. If any staff has a problem before that, you can refer 'em to me."

...

"...ok."

_(She didn't even hear what I asked...)_Tsukasa thought as she closed and rolled her eyes. _(...and, ugh, these fluorescent lights are getting annoying as all hell...)_

"Well, bye."

...

"Don't have to be so blatant..." the younger sister remarked as she reopened her eyes.

Kagami smirked at that.

"Bye. _'Sis'."_

* * *

**3rd Period (3rd Floor Hall, 11:43)**

* * *

When Tsukasa finally reached the top of the steps, the bell had just rung and students were busy heading from their 3rd to 4th period classes—or just talking and playing around: this was the 'break period' Kagami gave to these students so that her gang could gets its things done during the day easier, and especially if it couldn't wait until lunchtime. Instead of five minutes to get to class, now everyone had ten. A pretty sweet deal.

The halls were packed and since the Hiiragi gang still wasn't causing trouble, all of the normal kids were enjoying themselves for the first time in weeks. People were laughing and talking in the halls without cares or worry at all, and many were lounging even. Some of the girls outside the gang were putting on makeup, and some of the guys were just playing around in the halls.

It wasn't too packed for Tsukasa to move, especially since the smarter students got out of her way as she approached. But not all the kids were that smart, though: the girl still found herself cutting it close with a lot of kids, since she was briskly walking down the halls of the 3rd floor, searching for the custodian.

Still, Tsukasa definitely wasn't going to bump into anyone: her footwork was too good for that.

Ignoring the many voices and people in her path, she weaved in and out of their way, with her purple eyes darting left and right for a glance at the janitor she was looking for.

She'd left her binder with Shouto before seeing Tsukasa since they had the same 3rd and 4th periods. But that didn't matter, though: with this sudden change in plans, she wasn't going to be seeing him anytime soon.

_(Just hold on to it for a couple hours, Shouto. I'll thank you later.)_

Right then, Tsukasa abruptly stopped. She stood in the middle of the hallway, but students kept moving around her to their friends and classes, while time ticked by.

_..._

...but while time ticked and people passed, the girl looked back again and tried to spot that janitor in the hall one last time.

And with so many people around, she could barely see past the closest classroom a few feet away.

...

_(...what the hell—__**ah—)**_

Tsukasa was irritated now, and turned around to look for who shoved her. Some 1st-year transfer newbie had practically hit her head on as he rushed through everyone to class, but he kept walking as fast as he could, and was soon swallowed up by the crowd.

All before she could react. So focused on finding that custodian, she wasn't able to picture his face. And he'd moved on too quickly for anyone else to do much of anything.

_..._

Well, there's was nothing else to do but start walking again.

_(...'what the hell'..._

_..._

_...did I get myself into...)_

Konata was heading back to her homeroom class after a short stretch outside and a sip from the water fountain.

Trigonometry...

She was just a few steps short of the open door when she suddenly caught sight of a new...familiar face.

"Yo, Takashi!"

A lot of the kids going to class now turned their heads curiously, but kept walking on after their short stares. Yet one boy on the other side of the hall paused and stopped walking and faced her with a surprised look on his round face.

Konata walked up to the transfer, looking straight into his brown eyes.

...

Angrily, of course.

"Where were you at?" she asked. "You were outta your homeroom and 1st period classes..."

Takashi looked pretty nervous...it may have been because Konata's angry tone was making him uneasy since he knew he was up to something...

...or it could've been that he was gonna have to rush to his class below, now that this girl was holding him up.

"I was at the bathroom. Don't really think I need to say more than that..."

"_You sure you weren't planning anything?"_she whispered. _"Seriously, I don't want you to get—"_

"It's nothing, Konata.

Listen, I gotta get to class in, like, two minutes, so we can talk at lunch or after, okay?"

...

"_...fine."_

"Thanks." he said—before bolting down the hall.

_(He's running so stupidly fast...lucky the gang isn't being ruthless like usual. Otherwise, if he ran into one of them...ah, Kagami should've never given us this break period. People can't handle it..._

_..._

_...well, at least I know he's not gonna be doing anything at lunch. Which means he probably won't be up to anything today anyway...)_

Once Konata stepped back inside the classroom, about two dozen eyes were on her, including Ms. Kuroi's.

"Welcome back." the teacher joked.

"Yeah."

...

_(...what's up with her?)_the woman wondered.

But she didn't know what Konata was thinking. The situation with Takashi...if he was serious, it was pretty major. And Konata knew what happened to uppity kids like him.

_(...I'll stop him after school before he gets himself killed.)_she thought. _(Even if I've gotta fight him to do it.)_

* * *

_**4th Period (Class 1-A, 12:10)**_

* * *

A few minutes after Takashi was running from Konata, he'd finally settled down with the rest of his class and caught his breath. Not he was doing some academics with the other freshmen.

What kind? Well, he was working in a group of three, busy with a boring literature assignment: trying to find examples of alliteration in English prose.

The seats were all taken, but they were all unmoved as the class' teacher, Mr. Yamamura, paced down the aisles, observing.

"Takashi, is he ready for it?" asked of the transfer's partners. The boy chuckled a bit as he spoke, placed his chubby hands on their thin orange textbook: _Comp. Stages: English Form._

"He wasn't able to find anyone."

"Really? Not in the whole school? Geez, even I had one friend there."

"That's not it:" the taekwondoka sighed, shaking his head. "no one he's asked is brave enough to stand up."

The chubby boy across from him placed a finger on his square chin, lightly tanned from hours of outside training with his judo class, under the intense sun. His wide eyes squinted as he tried to think up a response. It wasn't easy for him to converse this way, trying not to hint at his 'plans'.

No one was listening too closely, but one could never be too sure either.

"...so...they're too scared.

Nice. He couldn't find one single person to help us out..."

"That's all right: we've got each other."

The third kid, a boy with a short, black cut and thin, oval frames, started snickering at that, and covered his mouth—but he couldn't hold back from smiling.

"You know what I mean." Takashi laughed. His judoka friend shook his head, smiled in plain view.

"Yeah, so, you didn't change anything, right? We're comin' at lunch, while you're...goin' at whoever?"

"Yeah, Haru." Takashi nodded. "You and Kyō'll come out to help us take 'em. They're gonna fail when they're surrounded."

"I hear you."

"Then we're just gonna be doin' work until you two make your first moves." the third kid said.

"Yeah, from when we start and all the regulars get faded. Unless it's only the boss. Then we've got it made for sure."

"Hm."

"Okay then." Haru interrupted—"Can someone help me with this one? I think it counts: "All the cute cuddly kittens suddenly went crazy, clawing at my—"

"That's not the same paragraph..."

* * *

_**4th Period (1st Floor Hall, 12:10)**_

* * *

Meanwhile, Tsukasa was opening one of the school's back doors, letting in the rush of sunlight that she basked in for a moment, knowing everyone was in class.

'For a moment'. Because right afterwards, she realized her time was running out.

_(I'd rather not be in class, but..._

_...still, I'm never gonna 'volunteer' like this again.)_

...

A nice little black parking lot; the warm concrete resting one, two, and three dozen vehicles. Most of which were driven by teachers; most of which were cars: they were in the city after all.

Tsukasa didn't want to steal any cars, however...even though it might've been a good idea. This person she was looking for as probably off school grounds, but if Tsukasa was caught stealing someone else's car, there'd be a lot of drama for sure...

...

...still, that wasn't ever the lieutenant's intention. Once the she stepped outside, she walked under the shade of a wooden awning hanging from the back of the school. Right outside a...

...custodial closet.

A public one, like all of them, though. So Tsukasa didn't really expect the one particular guy Kagami wanted wasted to be there. But the reason she headed there was because the awning was on a small slope a few yards away. That helped her get a better vantage.

And all Tsukasa could really do now was hope she came across him...

...it was something, but...

...

...things really weren't looking that good...

...

...well, it was definitely a bad idea, then, for her to promise his death like that. Kagami wasn't gonna be happy at all—to put it mildly.

...

"Wait—is that him right now?"

...wait...it was...no—it _was_ him! The one she was looking for! Right there on school grounds! Right there, coming through the cars in the lot. Right through the two mini, silver Toyotas!

...and now...right in front of Tsukasa.

"Hello." the man said, tipping his blue cap and revealing the brown shaggy strands of hair that came to his neck.

"Hey..." Tsukasa replied—but she didn't mean it at all. In fact, she barely noticed she'd replied: she was just saying whatever while she looked at him a bit more closely, to see if he was the one.

There were two janitors on the scene today. One was the one who went to blackmail Kagami; the other was the one in his place. And the guy they wanted was super-tanned with a nearly brown complexion; he was very slim, but taller than average too, at 6'2''; his face was pretty sharp, and his brown eyes were pretty pointed too, yet relaxed and opened well.

...hm. That made sense. He was relaxed because he knew he'd be retiring soon, thanks to Kagami...

_(Yeah. He'll be 'retiring' alright.)_

While the man walked pass and put his hand on the metal door handle, Tsukasa spoke again.

"Wait."

Suddenly, he stopped. Turned around. He'd just gotten an order...couldn't disobey.

"Um...y-yes?"

His voice was shaky. He knew what he'd done—and now the big boss' sister was coming for him.

...

Tsukasa just stared for a moment.

But after a few seconds, she just looked down and sighed some. It was pretty obvious that being here was the last thing she wanted to do...

...

"...well...

...

...you know what I'm here for..."

...

"I...I was just checking my car! I wasn't trying to lea...ve..."

...

*sigh*

The lieutenant started to walk closer now. She told him:

"Right.

Just stop. I don't care what you were gonna do. Kagami wants you off'd. Now, don't run or I can't promise it'll be quick."

"_Wait, wait! Please! I didn't—I...I won't tell anyone anything! I swear! But d-don't...don't kill me!"_

...

"Sorry...

...I don't know why...

...

...why I..."

...

The frightened adult looked on, not really sure what to do. On the one hand, he wanted to try and run away...but that would've been stupid. Even if he could've gotten away, the girl would've just alerted all the goons on entire first floor.

...too many for him to run away from...and on the other hand...he was seeing something strange in her...

...her tone. It was softer than before...less sure. Her voice...it was more..._remorseful._

...

Her head was down: she couldn't bring herself to look straight at him.

Then, after all this...

(...is she feeling guilty...? Guilty for what she was about to do? That she was planning on killing...

...

...but I thought her whole family was savage...! Then...she really...

...

...she really doesn't want to...)

...

"_Miss Tsukasa!"_

_..._

_That abrupt yell..._

...

...yeah: this was newfound sincerity right here! He wasn't going to betray Kagami now! Not after seeing this change in Tsukasa!

...

_...which means...perhaps...perhaps all along...all he wanted to see after all was a little kindness from them._

_..._

"_...Miss Tsukasa: I promise I won't—_

_**-**__-UH—__**AGH!"**_

_..._

...but he'd get none...

With a swift dash, the lieutenant cut the toes of her right shoe straight into the man's chin—before he noticed her move at all.

...

She kept the follow-through, standing on her left foot and looking past her extended right leg for a moment to see if the man was really dead.

...

"_...why I even bothered to give you the choice._

_I hope I'm not getting soft—thanks for standing still after all, though."_

...

Kicks like those were usually fatal, but it never hurt to be sure, so...she checked from where she was.

...

And nothing. His body was as still as a rock.

Tsukasa put her leg down and walked closer to check one last time. Get a closer look. Normally, she wouldn't have bothered making sure this much—but this was a job she was doing for Kagami, so no room for error. None at all.

He wasn't breathing for sure: his chest and stomach were definitely flat. And other than his eyes being rolled back, exposing the tiny red veins sprouting up, and mouth being wide open and still like a fresh zombie, he could've just passed for a very calm sleeper...like Tsukasa herself.

That wasn't where he hit him, though: she wanted to see what the wound looked like.

So she closed the man's gaping jaw with her foot and looked at the bottom. But with just the slightest budge, the man's head rolled back and limply dropped to the side next to his shoulders.

Yeah, the man dead for sure. It was like he didn't even have a neck. But even still, Tsukasa wanted to see exactly what she did in case she thought she needed improvement later on.

Right there was where the tip of her shoe sent him falling back about ten feet. She'd managed not to puncture the skin, but almost the whole underside of his jaw was heavy and thick with red and purple bruising. Internal bleeding, so he probably had a huge concussion as well—probably two: one from the kick; one from the fall.

Pretty neat work. Only the exact point her toes had dug left any sort of graze: that small part of his jaw was scraped red—but still not bleeding. And other than that and the harsh bruising, one would've thought he took poison or something.

It didn't matter to her, though, except it meant she had less work to do when hiding him.

_(I've gotta dump this body fast, too, before someone drives by. Luckily, I don't think I'll actually be seen by anyone from the road because of all the cars blocking their view. Unless they're actively __**trying **__to find something going on here..._

_..._

_...now...where the hell can I go—ah, yeah: those contractor bags in the closet. I'll have to use those, wrap 'em tight, and dump him.)_

Then she leaned over the dead man and went in his left suit-pocket, taking his keys—and wallet.

_(I guess Kagami'll want the extra. All I need are the keys, though. I'll hide him in the closet he was gonna go in with 'em...and hopefully the bags are right there too..._

_..._

_...damn, this is such a drag...)_

* * *

_**Lunch Period (4th Floor Hall, 12:45)**_

* * *

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

Yeah, whatever. People were already up and outta their seats from the first bell. Not just the normal students but the gang members too: this was their time to conduct business with each other and their inferior peers, of course.

_***DING DONG!***_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

"Okay, Kuon, how much is it?"

"Heh: It's like two ounces."

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

"_...'two ounces'? What? I thought Vietnam's like, Weed City..."_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

"_Stop talkin' so damn loud, you dumbass."_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

"_Sorry...I was just sayin'..."_

_**...**_

_***DING DONG!***_

"_It's a lot, but it ain't legal. So by it or go somewhere. I got more clientele."_

"_Fine, fine. I'll buy, I guess... ...how much?"_

* * *

_**Lunch Period (Class 3-B, 12:46)**_

* * *

"So you've got no idea where he is either, huh..."

"I'm sorry, Konata. I tried to find him in the hallway and warn him one last time, but I didn't. Did you see him?"

"Yeah, but time was almost up, so he had to run before we could really talk."

"I see...

...then, if he really insists on doing this, perhaps we should just let him?"

Foolish words. Konata leaned over the desk Miyuki sat in front of and dug her fingers into the shoulders on the turned girl's shirt. For that stupid suggestion, Konata thought her friend needed to have sense shaken into her.

"Are you _crazy?"_

"_H-huh?"_

"_You'd just let him get effed up like that?!"_

"Shh, Konata! Most of the 2nd-years are out in the halls, but they can still hear you!"

"_No they can't! I'm not yelling; I'm whispering loud—now just answer the question!"_

"_He—he'll just fight them anyway! Him and his friend! What's the point in trying to stop them once they've started? You'll just get in their way then...if you don't want him to get hurt, at least help..."_

"Yeah, and get beaten to a bloody mess." the blue-haired child mocked as she stopped whispering.

But Konata didn't add anything else: she couldn't help but stare disappointedly at her friend. Because here Konata thought Miyuki was nicer than this—but the girl practically wanted Takashi and his partner to kill themselves.

...

"...well, then..." said her friend, gently freeing herself, "...what'll you do? He said he was going to act before this period was over? We don't know how much time we have before he does anything. And even if I come with you and we find him before he's started, what if doesn't want to listen to you no matter what you say?"

...

*sigh*

"Geez, Miyuki. Can't you not be so logical for just once?"

"Eh?"

"I mean...whatever. I'm gonna go out and look for him now. If you don't wanna, that's fine."

"I...won't..."

"Right." Konata said before getting off the desk. She looked oven more disappointed than before...but she just kept walking until she was past Miyuki...

...who suddenly called.

"Eh, Konata..."

"Ah—what?" she whined as she turned around. "I'm gonna miss my chance."

"But if you find him...then what?"

...

"...well...

...

...if he doesn't wanna be smart about it...I'll have to beat _him_ up to keep him down."

"_What?!"_

"...s-sorry, Miyuki! I'm gonna save him!"

And like that she took off—but Miyuki wasn't done. That answer was too shocking.

"_W-wait, Konata! Wait a minute!"_

Konata was already down the hall, though. Running in and out of kids who conversed in her way, her long hair sway up and down as she passed students; her green eyes serious and focused on exactly where she wanted to be: right downstairs.

* * *

_**Lunch Period (4th Floor, Boys' Bathroom, 12:50)**_

* * *

Behind the beige stalls, two boys were busy doing something serious. Anyone who came in wouldn't have known, though. These two people had experience with "transactions," and weren't gonna get caught so easily.

"What're their names?" asked the shorter kid, about 4'8''—probably a transfer.

"I don't really know," replied a light-skinned, blond kid with thick, messy hair—about a foot higher, but for some reason, it was the other kid who seemed like the one in charge here. "but I still remember what they look like."

"No, man." said the shorter boy who rolled his black eyes. The small, angled frames he wore were really brining out his growing anger... "I don't care what you say they look like.

Now, what if we snag someone based on what you say and it's the wrong person?"

"...well..."

"Kagami'll be on our fucking asses—my fucking ass. And I'll be on your fucking ass.

No homo."

"...well, I mean—"

"It's fucking useless, man. Your finds are useless. You're supposed to be a _snooper._ You _snoop."_

"But I did—I mean...I—"

"Bro. You're annoying me now."

...

"...sorry. Can't I just have a few more hours? Or, like, till tomorrow? I'll have someone caught by then for sure!"

"No, you've got to the end of the day like you first said. Go back and give me what I really want so I finish my cred and can get my fucking promotion, or as soon as Kagami's lifted this stupidass violence ban, I'm gonna turn your _face_ into—"

Takashi suddenly walked in. And headed to where those two were.

And even though he didn't know anyone was there, pretty soon they were all awkwardly staring at each other. The taller student seemed to be holding something behind his back with his right hand: slowly, he shoved whatever it was in and brought his arm back out.

...

As Takashi stared on at both of them—or rather, as they stared at each other, Takashi noticed the one with the glasses had a little metal ring around his right index finger.

...

A black ring.

"...what do you want?" said the shorter kid.

...

"...nothing. Sorry." he replied, moving to a urinal in front of him.

"Shut up."

...

Takashi stopped where he was. He wanted so badly to fuck this guy up now. Nothing more; nothing less.

_(Fucking bastard..._

_...he's lucky I'm waiting for Yusuke now._

_...better get his punk before he comes, though. Or I swear I'm about to mess him up...)_

_..._

"Well? You gonna piss or not?" said the irritated thug.

...

"_Well?"_

_..._

"...never mind. I'm leaving."

Takashi turned around and started walking away—but then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"No you're not." the other guy said again.

...

_(...ngh...he really touched me...)_

"So what're you gonna do?" Takashi replied again.

...

"_...hmph. Thinks he's so cool, huh." _the guy muttered. _"...ugh, but I can't do anything while I'm still under Kagami's orders..."_

...

"Sorry. I didn't hear you, but I dunno what's goin' on here and I don't want any trouble. Just let me go please."

It was sarcasm. All the way.

But the thug didn't really a choice. He let go and said, "Fine. Just get outta here. We're doing something official, y'know."

"Okay." the taekwondoka nodded.

But as he walked away, he really wished he didn't have to play that like such a sissy.

_(Damn, Yusuke. Way to be late. If I__** took that bitch out,**__ the other kid would've been a witness...and with that thing in his pocket...he might've been one of those spies Miyuki was talkin' about. I could've knocked him out too if that's how it is—and I'm pretty sure...but there's no way I'd've been able to hide either of them afterward._

_There's cameras in the halls too..._

_...if only-)_

_..._

Just then, a sudden pause in his thoughts. For a second time now, Takashi stopped moving too. A few feet away from the door, he noticed someone else had just come in behind the quiet hallway: all the seniors were apparently eating inside their class or on some other level.

So was this kid a gangster? Or...

...

"_Heh. Right where you said you were: in a friggin' stall._

_What's up, Takashi? Long time. And thanks for the update on where you'd be."_

...

"...ah—Y-

_...Yusuke!"_


	4. Good Afternoon

**_Lunch Period (4th Floor, Boys' Bathroom, 13:10)_**

* * *

"_Heh. Right where you said you'd be._

What's up, Takashi? Long time no see—and thanks for updating me on where you'd be now."

...

"_...ah—Y-_

_...Yusuke..."_

...

...

"Sorry," the gangster said. "who the hell's this guy?"

"...it's—

—hey, why don't you just go die?" Takashi responded—still facing his friend. "Heh, whaddya say?"

"_What?"_

The expression of puzzlement in Yusuke's round, black eyes was obvious...but he decided to stay back once he saw that black ring on the shorter guy's hand.

_(Takashi never said anything about there being one of those punks **in **the damn bathroom, but guess I'll let 'em handle it.)_

The gangster stepped up to Takashi again as the snooper stepped back closer to the window on the far side of the bathroom.

But when the gangster grabbed the transfer this time, it was by his tan hair. He dug his fingers in and with his left hand, held his head tight.

"You just fucked up. I was told not to start anything with you punks—_if you don't first!"_

Then a straight right hook—and straight at Takashi's right cheek!

He had perfect form too, his shoulder rotation and corkscrewing motion made look like a pro. Which he was: it wasn't easy to tell from those nerdy oval frames, though, making him look like just a pissed off geek—but Takashi saw it now, as the guy's fist went right into his face!

And—

...stopped...?

"Heh, nice catch, Yusuke. So you've still got it, huh?"

"The fuck man? You let him almost hit you in the face on purpose? It's only been a few damn weeks since you left! Of course I've still 'got it'!"

"Damn, bro. Chill out. I would've just rode the lameass punch if you didn't do anything—then fucked him up."

"**_Eh?! You two are spies from another school! Let go of me!"_**

"_...ah...ah, did you say...they're..."_

...both the gangster and snooper were pretty edgy right now, with the former trying to wrench his hand free from Yusuke's grip by letting go of Takashi's head and pulling his right arm...and the latter cowering hard against the wall he was starting to press himself up against.

"Now why would I let go?" Yusuke joked. "We're just getting to know each other."

"So here's the deal, Yusuke:" started Takashi, "we've got a snooper and a member of the gang right here—I think you know which is which. We're gonna take 'em both out, then go to down to where Kagami is."

"_What'd you say?! You wouldn't—**OOF!"**_

The gangster fell over on Yusuke's blue pants. Specifically his knee. And when Yusuke backed up, he and his glasses fell hard. The black rims and oval lenses lied broken and cracked on the floor after they were crushed by the boy's body.

...

"...damn. Nice knee."

"Hmph. Thanks: I've also been practicing a little Muy Thai in my spare time."

"Great, so now you can out-clench me too..."

"Ha, like I never could."

"Pft—oh, wait. Almost forgot about you." Takashi said, calmly nodding in the blond snooper's direction.

"Wait! No! _I won't say anything to anyone! I swear to G—no...**Buddha!"**_

...

The two boys just stared at the whimpering snooper for a while after that.

"Wow.

...

...you're a disgrace. Just shut the fuck up and stay in here then. We're not the bad guys, so I don't wanna hurt a begging bitch...even if you _are_scum. I'm serious. Don't you come out before the lunch bell—_got it?"_

"Y-yeah... ...I got it..."

"Well, let's go, Takashi." Yusuke said as he opened the door. His friend nodded and they both walked out, keeping casual faces and leaving the snooper alone with nothing but the shutting door and cold ground.

If someone were to come by later and he snitched...well, the two most likely would've been finished with their mission by then anyway.

"I'm assuming the rest of the plan's the same even though this got screwed?"

"Yeah, my bad. I didn't expect there to be anyone inside...

...I know: I'm stupid."

"True." the taller guy laughed. "But let's just focus on the now."

"Right."

And so, the two made their way down the empty hall and reached the steps a minute later. A short moment after, Yusuke, who was tallest by an inch or so, touched the EXIT sign mounted in front of a door leading outside. Just for fun, but it was something to pass the time by while Takashi said nothing. His black polo wrinkled a bit as he reached, but in a second it was back to being that nicely smooth cotton he liked.

...

"...so..." Takashi started...

The older kid glanced to the side and rested his hands behind his neat black hair, gelled forward for extra points.

"Yeah?"

"...so how's it been?"

"Not bad. After you left, every fucking punk thought they could take my crew and I had to kick all their asses, day after day. Shit made my GPA drop fierce, man."

"What, you're at, like, a 3.0 now?" Takashi joked.

"Hell yeah. 3.15, really: times are tough." his friend replied, laughing. "But even with us still rulin' our turf in the country, none of those pussies wanted to take on Kagami with us. I don't know if it's country guys are softer, but damn. Not from my group; not from those rival punks under Hashida."

"Wha...? You asked those guys too?"

"I asked everyone, man.'Cause if this place keeps growing out like it is, they'll end up on our yard, fighting us for control, and we don't got enough people in our smaller, rural schools to deal with that."

"Yeah, I know what you mean..." Takashi said.

But did he really? The boy looked down and reflected on that remark for a sec...

...

_(I'd always wanted to beat Kagami..._

_...but that was so I could add this turf to ours...get Yusuke's small band of kids a little bigger...maybe take over if I was able to do it alone._

_..._

_...forget taking over, though. He's been training just as hard as me while we were away...and I didn't even think that Kagami was expanding...but...how'd he find out? I thought I knew more about this place than him...)_

"What's up?" asked Yusuke.

"Ah—nothing.

Just, I met these two girls who knew a lot about this school—"

"Right, the shortie with the ahoge?"

"Fuck off."

"Ha."

"Yeah, and a taller one too, with long pink hair. I swear it looks so fluffy man, like cotton candy or something...I could just eat that sh—"

"'K, curb your fetishes and get to the point."

"...uh-huh. Thing is, they never told me about this place 'growing' like you said. So how'd you know it is?"

"'Cause that's what _all_ these gangs are doing.

Assholes using their fighting skills to fuck with other people and forming cliques from that, and those cliques grow bigger and bigger and turn into gangs—if they've got the money to spread that far.

Or if they get it. The one near our town did. Started "fundraisers," selling 'cake and shit—fixed of course—to a few desperate buyers. When they got out to the town, after losing a couple members to idiots and rats who couldn't sell for their lives, they struck gold."

"Lucky buyer?"

"Lucky buyer.

I heard gave 'em 40,000,000 for the vanilla shit."

"What the fuck?! 40,000,000 y—"

Takashi was interrupted by Yusuke putting his hand over the kid's mouth. A good thing too: this wasn't the right place to be talking about other gangs. Not if you weren't with this one.

"Shh."

The transfer nodded, then Yusuke let go.

And Takashi nodded.

"Sorry. Just didn't want you yelling anything stupid to get us in trouble."

"Well, we're gonna be causing trouble soon anyway, but I get what you mean. My fault—ah, and hey: looks like the classes are here."

And they were. Down from the middle of the long corridor, the floors led to three separate classrooms on the left side. Each room was marked by what grade its students were in and a room letter, randomly assigned to them. These guys were almost seniors: their second year in high school. The rooms were 2-A, 2-B, and 2-C: one of which Konata had run out of, heading to the freshmen's floor, right after he went to the floor above hers. If Takashi had decided run to the end of the hall instead of taking the steps the whole way up like before, they would've spotted each other.

Lucky for him, he didn't. Or else Yusuke and him might not've been here right now.

But enough of these what-ifs: Takashi and Yusuke were looking in each of the three 2nd year-classes, slowly walking past and glancing to the left ever so slightly, so it really looked like they were looking outta the windows on the right side, or just innocently walking along.

They aren't really sure what to _really_ look for, though. All Yusuke knew was Kagami had pink hair, but with all the blond, brown and black hairs in the classroom, busy doing things from happily gossiping to quietly reading, to playing cards and, well...eating...but in class 2-B, it was kind of surprising to see even one pink-haired girl talking to a lively, red-haired, blue-eyed friend.

_(Damn, so that's the pink-haired girl he was talking about?)_Takashi thought as he turned to the window beside him, pretending to gaze at the schoolyard outside. _(Heh, I see 'em. Just lose the glasses and, heh, I'd tap that no doubt..._

_..._

_...uh, same for the green-haired girl, too, I guess. But she's kinda small...fucking triple A+ small...)_

"_Where the fuck are any purple-haired girls, though..."_he murmured to himself. This search was becoming a quick failure alright.

The worst part was his own partner didn't know much more about Kagami's appearance, except for her ponytails were odango-styled, held by small ribbons.

But besides transfers and people who didn't go here, who didn't know that?

No one.

And this morning, _Konata_ told him that piece anyhow...

"So, look for her wearing what?"

"'Two plain, grey bows to keep her pigtails in place."

"I know about the bows, but...you said her hair was...purple? And long odango? That go to where?"

"Like, her waist. Why? She's the only one here with that style, so..."

"Yeah, I know.

...but damn, what's she tryna stand out for like _that? _I bet she thinks she's one of those cute anime villains or something.

Sounds like she's got problems, having a _lonely dork _style like that..."

...

"...what...?" he went on. Konata had stopped talking for some reason.

...

...because she was insecurely rubbing her ahoge...

...

_(...oh...oops...)_

_(...wow. I should've asked or more details when I had the chance, then. None of these kids in any of these classes looks like what Konata said she looks like. And I don't think she'd ever lie to me without a stupidly good reason...there's just one girl with a hair color like hers, and she's just some random...)_

Kids in the hall were talking it up by their lockers, so like Yusuke, Takashi had to pretend like he wasn't looking, only stopping by the doors when he had a clear view in between students who were blocking him. Even then, he only just glanced a little to the left while pretending to wander aimlessly and stare outside in between.

Around five minutes later, he'd just started to turn to another window, when Yusuke suddenly walked up to him.

Then the guy calmly asked, "Did you see her?" with his hands in his pockets.

"Nah..." Takashi sighed. "There's no one in those classes but a few punks and regs.

Kinda sucks too. The classes are full, so you'd think she'd be in _one _of 'em, but...no."

"Yeah..."

"Ugh, I'm sorry, man. Makin' you come out here for nothin'..."

"It's no problem for me since I've got an excuse back at home, but...

...so, what'll you do? If I go, I probably won't be able to come back for a while. And I don't think you wanna do this by yourself."

"No, I really don't...

...

...ugh, we're just gonna have to go to my class and make our presence known. I'll tell the others in my class, Kyō and Haru, to come to 2-C—that's where I saw the most members...you?"

"Yeah, me too. In there. I'll just chill out by the window until you're ready."

"Ok.

_...heh, man, I was hoping we could just get the drop on her, but shows how stupid I am for not paying attention to the classes, huh."_

"Yep. But, again, don't think in the past. We can still get these guys to tell us where she is...by force, if we've gotta."

"Right."

* * *

**Lunch Period (3rd Floor Hall, 13:26)**

* * *

Tsukasa just finished walking up the last flight of steps to reach the 3rd floor. She had class 3-C, and all she cared about now was getting to her seat and relaxing...

_(Finally, it's just a few feet_ _away. It's just too bad I've got another few hours in here after this..._

_..._

_Stupid Kagami, having me kill that moron right in the middle of class..._

_...if someone had seen me at all then, I'd've been brought in. And our operation would've been in some serious danger._

_..._

_And then after all that, breaking the guy's neck and stuffing him in the freakin' dumpster, she has the nerve to tell me upfront...)_

* * *

_A few minutes ago, Tsukasa had descended the endless stairway a second time to report what she'd done. Once she'd reached the bottom and entered the private room, she saw the same scene as nearly always: Kagami was sitting down and penning on those sheets of paper._

_One of these days, the "lieutenant" was gonna be the "boss". Then the "boss" and their family would actually let the "lieutenant" see what the hell was in those damn stacks._

"_Okay. I took care of him." Tsukasa said. This time she spoke as soon as she got down._

"_Yeah, that's good." You didn't get seen, did you?"_

_..._

"_...no...sis."_

"_Alright. Now listen to me, Tsukasa: Don't **ever **fuck up like that again, got it? You should've waited for him to come inside before you did anything. That's a screw-up a fucking goon would make."_

_..._

"_...I know...I'm sorry..._

_...I guess I got too anxious—but that'll be the last time."_

_Tsukasa had no idea just how Kagami knew what went down outside...but she always seemed to know everything happening on these grounds. By now, the younger sister wasn't even surprised anymore._

_*sigh*_

"_Alright, now hurry up and find Misao before the period's over. I'll take your word and pretend that never happened._

_Bye."_

"_Ah—right, thanks..."_

* * *

"_Thanks for making me go track down punk that blackmailed you. Like **I **had anything to do with Misao's screw up...and then **I **get blamed..._

_..._

_...though, I guess it was a pretty simple mistake I made...and she's right. Only inexperienced goons would've done the same..."_

_..._

Tsukasa neared the door

_(...I wonder what I was even thinking...)_

_*sigh*_

_(...maybe I'm just making mistakes 'cause I'm getting jealous of her._

_...she's a few hour older, so she gets all the training from my parents and my sisters. She gets all the attention and instruction I **don't—**and I can't even get a fuckin' **fraction **of this gang **even after **I helped her take down...)_

_..._

"_...no. I've gotta calm down. I'm not going down Misao's path._

_...speaking of which, I wonder if she's even in homeroom. Haven't seen her all day. I know she doesn't 'have' to do classwork, but still..."_

Well, when Tsukasa got to her homeroom, she couldn't see who was inside. Two guys were in her way: Yusuke and Takashi.

"Excuse me." she said to the younger, tan-haired kid.

"Ah—"

Takashi moved out of the doorway he'd just stepped in front of a couple seconds ago. Then he stepped off to right wall beside him, where Yusuke stood.

"Sorry." he replied.

She nodded and continued, then—and after that one second exchange, the transfer moved back where he was before. It didn't matter to them if anyone thought they seemed suspicious: they were pretty much ready to go all out right now.

"Aren't you the gentleman?" Yusuke laughed.

"Heh, shut up."

"So, one to ten..."

"Huh? Why's it always gotta be like that?"

"You're the one smiling at her from behind."

"Eh—"

"And didn't you like that pink-haired girl too? Heheh."

"...ah, well...

...

...she's on this floor..."

"Yeah, a 2nd-year." Yusuke said, noticing Takashi look down: must've been embarrassed. "Scared? Haha, damn—

—oh, _wait:_ wasn't that the same hair color as that Kagami girl?"

"Hm? Miyuki?"

"No, fool. The girl we just saw."

And like that, Takashi perked up.

If it was true, would it mean...

...the boy brought his head back up and found Tsukasa again, sitting in the middle of the class. She was reading some kind of hardcover novel, flat on the table so the cover wasn't visible. And to the left of her, a cool young man with shoulder-length, brown hair and maroon gaze.

Though the girl kept her eyes on the modest little read, every couple seconds, she responded to her classmate and got a nice conversation going.

...it was nice to see...people who could get along like that with no worries in this awful atmosphere.

...too bad that as the transfer looked closer, he noticed the black rings on both of them.

...

So his friend was right.

"Yeah, I thought it was only Kagami with that color, but...more important..."

...

Yusuke nodded.

"Mm. I saw 'em. They're both in the Hiiragi gang too then."

The two guys looked at each other.

And then Yusuke made a suggestion: "Let's hurry and get it over with before another one comes from behind. Time's running out—and now I think we should ask that girl. Just to see if she's useful, though there's probably no relation between her and Kagami."

"No problem." his friend replied. "Kyō and Haru are still waiting—not sure if they've seen it yet, but...

...

...I'm gonna start it."

"Right. I'm right beside ya."

The plan was set, and pretty soon there'd be no going back. Both the boys now stepped in the classroom.

* * *

**Lunch Period (Class 3-B, 13:29)**

* * *

...and, uh...incidentally, Miyuki had been reading a book just like Tsukasa, while the taekwondoka watched the latter.

She had a lot going on in her mind, but above all else, she just hoped Konata was all right. Reading her class' geography text was supposed to help take her mind off it, but...

_(This isn't really a good distraction...maybe I should just go look for Konata._

_...even though I probably won't find her.)_

To see how much time she had, the girl looked up and peered through her lenses at the clock on the wall above the teacher's desk—like all teachers during lunch, hers had left the classroom for the 1st floor, but five gangster kids were in a group right behind her.

Now the regular saw it was **13:30 **sharp. Only five minutes were left before this period was over.

_(Well...if there are just five more minutes left and Takashi planned to act out during lunch...maybe that means Konata stopped him after all._

_...and with just five more minutes left...how could I find them, wherever they are?)_

_..._

"...I think I'll stay here...unless Konata doesn't come back before class starts..."

**...**

_(...agh! What am I saying?! I can't leave her alone! What if she's in trouble?!)_

...

"_...I've..."_

_..._

No long pauses. No drawn out consideration. No more option-weighing. She stood up, just like that. And pushed out her chair: her decision was made.

_(I've gotta go help her. We're friends so...whatever she's doing right now, I've got to at least try to support her.)_

It was hard to expect her being this sure of what she about to do...but a little after a rush of students started to come into the room, she ran right outside the class just then. And she took a right turn, straight down the now-quiet hallway, past everyone still standing out in the open, down the steps to the floor below—

—she had run past Takashi...

* * *

**Lunch Period (3rd Floor Hall, 13:31)**

* * *

_(Alright.)_

"**_OKAY! LISTEN UP!_**

**_ALL THE BITCHES HERE THAT'RE PART OF THAT PUSSYASS HIIRAGI GANG, GET THE FUCK UP AND TELL ME WHERE YOUR TRAMP OF A BOSS IS! NOW!"_**

...

Success.

Before he'd even finished, almost everyone from every class on the 3rd floor had run and crowded up behind him, including the gang members. And the gang members in 2-C stood up too, no doubt.

"Hmph." Takashi smirked. _(Better than I thought I'd do...)_

It wasn't a smirking matter, though—and his face did a 180 as soon as he saw the ring wearing thugs come forward, thuggish boys and girls pushing through students wanting to see the fight who were trying to back up and get to the walls. But not everyone _wanted _to see it. About a dozen kids were knocked out of the way as those thugs pushed them and threw them out of their way. A couple girls even sgot their desks slammed into them as they frantically tried to get out the way. They fell hard on the floor, screaming before their chairs and desks on top of them right after.

In the forefront, a dude around Yusuke's height. Below his black crew cut, two small onyx studs were in his left ear. Small and square, but clear as a hoop ring when one was this close.

_(This guy must be the leader of **this **class...) _Takashi thought as they stood face to face...or, face to stubble.

"The _fuck_ you say, little shit?"

"_Damn," _one redhead guy said as he watched from right behind Yusuke. "they're just _brutal!"_

"Yeah, I know." said his friend, another boy with blond locks.

"Everyone in there's pretty much a hostage now, man..."

"...they can't get out..."

"_Wow, they just...knocked 'em aside..."_ one worried girl murmured from the left edge of the door.

And all the way in the back, more people were all crammed up, whispering nervously but anxiously all the same: this confident young kid made the entire crowd wanna see the Hiiragi gang toppled more than ever.

"_I hope he beats 'em all up."_

"I can't believe they just..."

"Is this kid insane?"

"Don't see you doin' anything."

"What an idiot!"

"That guy's got no chance."

"Well, he's brave at least."

"No one else is gonna help him?"

"Yo, this guy's gonna die."

"I think he can take it—like, why boast like that when you can't back it up?"

"_Someone's gotta pay, though, for what those guys did to—"_

"**HEY."**

...

All the regular students shut up instantly once the pierced thug raised his voice at them. They didn't want to get hurt here...and saying anything else was a death sentence.

"_Okay, okay!"_

"_Get on back!"_

"_Everyone against the wall!"_

"_You heard 'em! Back the fuck up!"_

"_Back it up!"_

"_Move, move!"_

Fear was rushing through the hearts of these kids now, the thugs in the crowd pushing them all far back on the wall and into each other. Some of them tripped and got walked over, but if they said anything, it'd be the end for them—so as scared boys and girls moved back or got yanked and pressed back from Takashi and Yusuke, they tried to stumble back up but their backs, legs, arms, and heads, were trampled and stomped on.

But after about half a minute, everyone was as close as possible to the windows on the far side of class 2-C. The trampled kids had to be picked up and thrown into the crowd of children who caught them, but soon everyone turned their attention on the newcomers.

Inside the class, the two girls who were assaulted had managed to crawl to the wall, but their arms were red and bruised and scratched up. A few dabs of blood were smudged on the floor and in the wood of their desks, and stains got into their white uniforms too. But other than that, they weren't too bad. They weren't going to bleed out, lucky enough. Though they were definitely grimacing and moaning as they lied on the floor of the wall in pain.

As Takashi saw all this unfold, he half felt it was his fault...but that just made him want to fuck these gang members up even more.

_(So, attacking innocent classmates because **I **called you out? Man these punks are on my shit list...)_

Tsukasa literally didn't hear them. She'd learned to tune out all petty disturbances long ago. Right now, since Shouto had stood and got behind the group of his friends at the doorway, all she wanted to do was keep rea—

"Hey, you!"

Takashi pointed at Tsukasa.

...

...after a second, put her book down and awaited the follow-up.

It wasn't immediate, however: the thug with the piercings grabbed onto Takashi and held him by his collar. His blue eyes were lighting—and his strong arms, rods.

"'Hey _you.'_

Know what, bitch? I think I'm gonna make an example outta you. Whaddya guys say?"

"_Yeah!"_

"_Let's fuck 'em up!"_

"_Snap his fucking neck!"_ _yelled a black-haired girl from the group._

"_Yeah, teach that uppity little prick!"_

"_For real, man!" the last dude's friend laughed._

Seemed kind of intimidating, no doubt...dealing with odds like that...everyone against you...those you're trying to help just standing by helplessly.

...

...yet in the middle of everyone cheering for his death, Takashi couldn't help but find his smirk come back.

He was anything but happy, though.

"What's so damn funny?" asked the one guy holding him.

"Well..." he started...that smirk having turned into a straight grin, "...wanna know what I think...?"

...

_(This fucking brat's a smartass!_

_..._

_...yeah, I'll play his game. Then when he's a broken body on the ground, we won't have any more of these little rebels for months, and when Kagami sees, she'll definitely..._

_..._

_...heh...)_

"I care?

Pft, fine. It'll be your last real words, anyway. _Real talk."_

"Alright, so here's what I think..." Takashi started, still grinning wide. "...see, I've been kinda stressed recently. You know, didn't like what you did to those girls and the kids you forced against the wall—"

"And?"

"...and in fact I was actually being held by another thug like you a little while back too.

...

...so..."

—Takashi turned a hard right fist into the guy's nose—"

"_AHHHHH!"_

—breaking it sideways. That punch sent his head reeling to the right and the junior started having a nosebleed...over his cheek. The precision and power instantly forced him to let go of the collar and tend to his own wound.

Trying to cover it up wasn't gonna help: he was bleeding too fast and now his hands were completely wet and salty. When he finally sort of recovered from the shock, he was still crying out in agony...which he tried to overcome as best as he could. He bent low to gather himself a little more, but got up after a moment as his fellow hoodlums looked on in complete and utter shock: mouths open; jaws dropped.

Then, when he was completely upright, he snapped at the freshman, even though he was still holding his nose:

**"DJUU FUGGING WITTLE—"**

Just as it started to look really embarrassing, Takashi saved the guy: by planting a roundhouse kick in that same nose.

...

And the guy was out cold, with his sskull slamming against the marble floor before Takashi even put his leg down.

...

"...just wanted to let you know you were pissin' me off.

Sorry. I'm cooled down now."

_(Heh. Nice introduction.) _thought Yusuke with a nod.

...

"**_YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_**

_The crowd was ecstatic! THEY WERE CRAZY! And the gangsters were having such a hard time holding the cheering boys and girls back on the wall that they nearly couldn't contain them all! This might've been the guy they were looking for all along! He took that other kid out WITH **JUST one kick! **And he didn't even look like he was **trying! **If anyone was going to have a chance at Kagami, **it was him for sure!**_

In the midst of this passionate frenzy of juniors urging Takashi on and encouraging him all the way, seniors and 1st-years came running up to see the imminent fight from their floors too. Only a few managed to get down, though, because the rest of the students were held back in their classes by other gangsters around who didn't want too much chaos to unfold on the 3rd floor.

"_Hey."_ yelled a pale, curly-haired freshman as he sat on his desk. "Get back here."

"Aw, why, man? Can't we just go see?" one of the kids complained.

"_What was that?"_ another kid yelled back. _"You'd better listen to him, 'fore you get fucked up!"_

That got to all of class 1-C. The regulars reluctantly returned to their seats as the ten-man, six-woman clique sat in their group at the far right of the classroom, actually wishing they didn't have to keep their classmates in this time. It was 13:33, and this was practically babysitting duty: they wanted to see the fight for themselves. Maybe even get involved.

"Geez, you think we should let 'em go?" asked one of the girls.

"_No!"_ her friend yelled—he practically snapped at her.

"Wow," said another guy. "Didn't have to go off like that. Ha."

"I know, right? I was just saying..."

"Heheh..."

"Damn, dude."

"I'm about to go out by myself."

"For real."

"_No you're not. None of us are."_ stated the first kid.

"But we're not weaklings like those other guys." another girl laughed.

"_Yeah, but...we just can't."_

"Well, that's a terrible reason."

"Definitely, I think we should be able to leave if we want to. You can watch the kids."

"Right—come on, guys. Let's go—"

"_Yo! You heard the guy. He **has **a good reason."_

...

All of the gangsters turned from their wooden desks or seats to look to their right. There, a fair-toned kid of average height and build sat in his chair, looking back the others with slanted, vexed, grey eyes.

So, he'd gotten everyone's attention...even the regular kids were staring.

And he sighed. Seeing such a tired expression, it was pretty obvious that he didn't want to be stuck in the classroom either. Unlike most o the others, though, he knew what was best for everyone.

Placing his arms on that black, short-cut style, the boy then began to explain to the class...rather reluctantly...

"...look: I wanna go and see what's goin' on as much as everyone in here.

But we just can't. The halls are already filled with kids, and we'd just get in the way if we went down there. We don't need any other members down there because there wouldn't be enough room for us to act effectively.

Truth be told, it'll look better on us all if we just stay here like we've got sense unlike those other, uncontrolled classes. And it's not like whoever's trying to be a _star _or whatever isn't going to get murked anyway, so there's no point in going.

...not like we'd have a good view either, since it sounds like the whole 2nd floor's watching..."

_(I really do wanna go see, though..._

_...but I guess this is what I get for being a freshman, huh.)_

A final sigh led the weary gangster to turn back to his seat, away from facing his desk. And the class.

He leaned his head back then, and closed his eyes.

_(...what a friggin' drag...)_

Still, no one said anything at all for a while. This smooth guy wasn't just another one of those many low-level grunts working under Kagami: he was one of the big shots. He was definitely in charge of _this c_lass. And his mature composure—and logic—showed it.

...

"_You bastard; you just want a promotion."_

"_Eh—"_

* * *

**_Lunch Period (3rd Floor Hall, 13:34)_**

* * *

Konata and Miyuki had met up in the bathroom on the 2nd floor where the 1st-years were, and after the warming welcome Konata gave to her friend, she...pretty embarrassingly told her that she'd just gone in here a minute ago because she'd checked all the other classes.

Miyuki nodded and told her it was all right, since they were both searching here now, but she soon found out that Takashi wasn't here either. In fact, he wasn't anywhere on this floor, it looked like...

...and right then:

"_YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

...

They heard the loud screams and crashing stomps of fanatic kids above them, and kids on this level running to get to the action.

...

And the two friends looked at each other.

_"Heard that, Miyuki?!"_

_"Yes—they must've already started!"_

"But...why are the kids cheering? Is he winning or something?"

"Never mind that, Konata! We've gotta get up to him now!"

"Right, we've gotta stop him before he's done for! Let's go!"

"Ok!"

What Konata didn't mention was that she was just as happy to be rushing out the bathroom with Miyuki because it was the _boys' bathroom._

But Takashi was a special case to Konata alright. She admired the 1st-year's bravery, and she'd have only be doing something like that to help someone whose life she thought was in danger. And Miyuki would only be doing it if she thought Konata's life was.

Although, it wasn't really smart anyway to play be the rules when the Hiiragi gang was involved.

* * *

**_Lunch Period (3rd Floor Hall, 13:35)_**

* * *

**_*DING DONG!*_**

**_..._**

"_That's the bell."_

**_*DING DONG!*_**

"_Yeah, but Kagami's not gonna let the teachers get involved in this... Too much liability."_

**_..._**

**_*DING DONG!*_**

"_...they're probably being told to stay in the teacher's room right now..."_

**_..._**

**_*DING DONG!*_**

"_...Kagami probably sent a couple people to tell her."_

**_..._**

"_True. I'd hate to have to pay for their hospital bills if one of 'em gets knocked out."_

**_*DING DONG!*_**

"_Ha."_

**_..._**

**_*DING DONG!*_**

"_Yeah, who gives a fuck where the teachers are anyway?"_

**_..._**

"_Not me."_

**_*DING DONG!*_**

"_They'd probably try and break up the fight, wouldn't they?"_

**_..._**

"_Nah, they're not **that **stupid..."_

**_*DING DONG!*_**

"_Might be."_

"_Oldass punks."_

...

"Okay, Miss Whatever." said the confident Takashi. "We've got a feeling you know where Kagami is."

...

_(...of all the times...it's gotta be now, doesn't it...)_Tsukasa sighed, closing her book.

"So tell us and you don't have to get hurt. I don't think the 'no hitting women' rule goes for gangs."

...

"Hey, kid:" Shouto chuckled from the crowd of his anxious teammates, "you better check yourself. This is our territory."

"Heh, oh it is? My bad. And here I thought you guys were the welcoming committee."

_(Hah!_

_This smartass is gonna be fun.) _thought Tsukasa's friend.

"_Grr, lankyass punk..."_

"_You gonna let 'em talk that shit, Shouto?"_

"_Beat that little freshman's ass!"_

"_Yeah, mess that guy up!"_

"_Come on, Shouto!"_

"_Put him in a chair, yo!"_

...

"...you sure you want this, kid?"

Shouto kept smirking and brushed his long hair back with his hand, more confident than anyone else in the hall.

Takashi looked his senior in the eyes and smirked right back.

_('Shouto,' huh?_

_...something's a little different about this guy compared to the last. Wonder if he's the real best fighter.)_

"Maybe..." he said."Lemme just ask that girl a question."

When Tsukasa saw Takashi point at her _again_ then, that was when she started to get a little irked.

_"...can't you just..._

_*sigh*_

_...can't this wait till later today? Preferably after school?"_

...

"Nope." Takashi chuckled. "No time. We're here now for a reason. A _'special reason'._"

"Really." Shouto said as he kept brushing his hair. "So what 'special reason' is that?"

"Probably to start shit and steal motherfuckers on the sly." a girl mocked.

"Oh, that's how ya think it is? I can go straight up if I've gotta." Takashi commented. "Whatever it is, if I knock one of you punks or lame bitches out, it's just a bonus to me."

Needless to say, the clique of juniors wasn't taking too kindly to the freshman's mouth.

"_Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..."_

"_You know what..."_

...

_(Hmph.) _the lieutenant thought. _(He's pretty confident._

_..._

_...wonder why Misao isn't here to see this. She'd have gotten a kick outta seeing what just happened...no pun intended...)_

Misao might've still MIA for reasons unknown-but around this time, a few old, unnoticed friends had just arrived at the scene.

Konata and Miyuki reached the top of the 3rd floor, and after hearing a few voices in this hall where all the others were dead quiet, they knew this was where everything was going down.

"Okay, let's go—hey!"

"_Shhh!"_ Miyuki said as she pulled Konata back behind a wall by the staircase. _"We can't simply run out in the idle of that crowd! We might be detained before we can even explain why we're there!"_

"_And what if we yell something like 'Takashi! Don't fight!' or 'Stop fighting, Takashi!' while we're running down there?"_

By now, both girls were whispering to each other, but they were also keeping a good eye on what was going on over at 2-B, peering out of the small hiding space they took. The small wall and cramped alcove only allowed one head to look at a time, but being best friends, they were good at taking turns while they argued.

"_Those gangsters would probably still beat us up just because they're bullies...but even if they didn't, Takashi and that person next to 'em...I'm guessing the friend he invited...it seems as if they're ready to fight right now. I...don't think **anything's **going to change their minds now..."_

"_And?"_

"_Think about it for a second, Konata..._

_...if we go in and try to break up the fight and they don't want to...or even if they do...we'd just be a distraction at that point, where any of those gang members could hit any of us without our knowing. And then we'd be detained...or worse. I don't know about you, but I'd rather watch from the sidelines and try to help afterwards than risk getting those two seriously hurt..."_

_..._

"_...dammit, Miyuki..._

_..._

_...why do you always have to..._

_..._

_*sigh*_

**_Fine! _**_I'll hide here too. But as soon as it looks like they're gonna lose anyway and it doesn't matter if we come in to help them, I'm **coming **in to help them."_

Miyuki nodded.

"_That's fine._

_..._

_...staying out is until then...is what's best for them both now."_

* * *

"So which one of you junior mafia fuckers is gonna step up, huh?"

**Everyone **was mad-dogging the new kids.

"_Hey, Takashi..."_

"Uh, huh?"

The kid turned to Yusuke beside him. It was obvious how serious he was as he was still glaring at Tsukasa. When he whispered to Takashi, it sounded to the 1st-year that something significant had come up.

...

"...what?" Takashi repeated. He turned to Yusuke, watching with curious eyes. But his friend just kept looking in the room.

...

"_Let's just get this on._

_This girl won't tell us anything...and I'm getting bad vibes from her."_

_..._

_(...really...?_

_..._

_...wait, I gotta whisper too.)_

"_Who? The one in the purple?"_

"_The hell? Who else? And why'd you lean over in my ear?"_

"_Just making sure...and so we aren't heard, duh."_

_*sigh*_

"You idiot: They can hear us anyway."

...

Takashi looked at Shouto and his group, then asked them all, "...you heard us?"

...

...the group rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fuck this." Shouto laughed. "I'm taking 'em both. You guys can just step back."

"Oh, you think you can take me? So, none of you are gonna tell us where Kagami is then?" the transfer said to no response—then turning around to look at the cluster of regular students up against the wall. The "new arrivals" of seniors and freshmen had been forced back just like the 2nd-years...evidently, coming here was a big mistake.

"None of you guys know either?" he asked.

Those kids who were brave enough to answer at all just shook their heads. The rest stood dreadfully still, fearing they'd get attacked for responding to him.

...

"Fine." Yusuke said when Takashi turned back around. "We'll take you all on if you're not gonna say anything."

Takashi stared at the wall inside class 2-B. When he locked eyes with his partners Kyō and Haru, they nodded: everyone was ready.

"Then bring it, friends. I'll let you two have the first moves."

"Oh, you're too kind." Yusuke joked.

"_Wait."_

_..._

Shouto turned around and looked through the doorway.

...

"Huh? _Tsukasa?"_

"_You're not gonna be the one fighting those two."_she bluntly stated.

And with those words, she suddenly stood up at her desk and kicked it off to the side. It was just a casual little side kick, but as if the wooden table had been pushed with a forklift, it slid over a yard into the nearest one on the left...the blood-stained one.

_(...now **I'm** starting to really wonder how good this girl is...) _wondered Yusuke. _(She didn't even look like she lifted her leg at all to kick that desk aside..._

_..._

_...yet that air about her...hands in her skirt pockets...and such a calm expression..._

_..._

_...it's not the air of an average taekwondoka...or even a karateka..._

_..._

_...I can't...make it out, though... ...what is she...?)_

"Are you kidding, Tsu? I called this fight almost as soon as I saw Tenoji get knocked out. I'm gonna be the one who gets to take 'em. Don't think I'm gonna back down—I've got my dignity, y'know."

"That's all well and good, Shouto, but...I didn't say I was going to fight these two."

...

"...huh? / ...huh? / ...huh?"

"Why would I fight them if I don't think they're dangerous? Michiko's right: With Tenoji, all you did was steal 'em off." Tsukasa stated, chiding Takashi and nodding at him. "You haven't shown me you're worth Kagami yet.

Let alone anyone here."

"Heh. She's right, I guess." Shouto said, not-so reluctantly. "You wanna see Kagami and join us? You've gotta prove yourselves. The Hiiragi gang always welcome challengers, but we don't get many 'cause whenever the challenge is petty and ends up on the ground, we stomp 'em out anyway."

"Oh, go to hell." Yusuke sighed. "We're not here to join you little Kagami fantards."

Now _that_ comment was a spark for Tsukasa.

**_(Ngh!_**

**_..._**

_...n...no...w-wait a minute...! ...why am I getting mad at what he said...?_

_..._

_...I know that...i-it's not like he's true or anything..._

_..._

_...just calm down, Tsukasa...)_

...

She'd almost completely blown up for the first time in almost two years: back when she'd helped her older sister establish this elite faction...

...by crushing the coldblooded turf before it.

...

"What we're here to do" Yusuke went on, "is find Kagami and _destroy _this turf. And even if we've gotta kill all of you punks to do it...well, then that's how it'll be.

You heard the cheering among the students you've oppressed and beaten over the months. You'd have to be idiots to think we'd actually _join _up with you abusive thugs."

...

_(...no...we thought you were smart enough to ignore them, but...great..._

_...now I'm having flashbacks I thought I'd forgotten about. These can't be the two who'll overthrow us. Not all of a sudden like this._

_That isn't happening.)_

Everyone, _absolutely everyone _was speechless after hearing Yusuke call the Hiiragi gang out like that. Were it not for Tsukasa's intimidating presence, the crowd behind the two boys would've all just boiled up with bliss at the same time. What was going on in everyone's mind?

Well, pretty much: _"It'd taken two years, but these were gonna be the guys to finally set us all free!"_

...only...the question is: could they?

"...I see..." Tsukasa sighed. "Well, I guess that changes things."

_(It does alright...now I see this girl's obviously the shot-caller around here,) _Takashi figured, _(so she's gotta know **something **about Kagami. Yusuke's right: she's just holdin' out.)_

"What are you talkin' about?" Yusuke said.

...

"You're not fighting Shouto-"

"What." Shouto interrupted. "I didn't agree to that. They flipped the fuckin' script on us."

"Doesn't matter. From what I know of these two, you'd be too much for them."

"Say what? / Say what?"

...

"...he'd be too much for you.

I'm pretty sure. If you prove me wrong, I'd definitely go back on what I said, but...

...you see, we don't really do things like that here. When you're being subversive, we high-ranks normally lose interest unless you're good—because it's not our job to tend to your petty attitudes."

"Ahh...yeah, I guess you've got that right. If you two aren't trying to join us, that means you'd wanna fight us seriously and I'd have to go all out...which wouldn't even be unny." Shouto remarked with a sigh.

The guy had clearly lost interest after hearing what Tsukasa had to say. With a yawn, he walked back into the classroom and took a seat in the back, then put his arms back, hands behind his head.

"Put on a good show, and...eh, then I might care. But we can't lead you straight to Kagami with obviously ill-intentions like those. We'd have to be brain-dead."

_(How soon.) _Yusuke thought.

"Instead, what you're gonna have you do is fight our colleagues outside with you."

In other words: "you 'bout to get mobbed." Not one single thug on this floor didn't want these guys maimed or dead for daring to challenge their crew. Those eyes...every one of those eyes were filled with hatred.

Daggers of brown, blue, and green, piercing through both Takashi and Yusuke—these kids, without even saying anything, they got the message across as they slowly started to surround the boys, cracking their knuckles and necks.

Someone was gonna get broken today.

Just before, they were being terrible assholes and they only though the two were trying to join their circle rudely.

...but this...

...

...this wasn't even in the same joke.

**_No one said they were gonna overthrow Kagami. No one._**

"Here it goes, Konata..."

The little, blue-haired girl crossed her fingers...and hoped.

_(...**agh**...please..._

_..._

_...I don't wanna have to run out there... ...if I have to, lemme get there in time to stop it, **but I don't wanna have to run out there!)**_

"All of 'em, eh?" asked the transfer.

"Heh." Shouto laughed. "Just how do you think you're gonna get Tsu and me to talk otherwise? Hope you're not planning on going back, though.

_There **is **no going back now."_

"You guys can go whenever you want to." Tsukasa said to her subordinates, while starting to walk back to a seat next to Shouto. "That goes for you rebels too—what Shouto said.

But—actually, I'll go one further.

If you two can deal with Shouto and me at the end..."

...

The lieutenant sat down now.

_..._

"_...heh: I'll show you to my sister's office, like you want._

_No lie."_

_..._

_(Heh. Well, well, well._

_So I was right then. They **are **related. _

_This is it then.)_

_(It all make sense now. Just like he said. She's not 'the one'..._

_...but she's a good second place.)_

Takashi and Yusuke...they were both smirking.

Now things had _really_ gotten exciting.

...

_(They're looking pretty cocky...) _thought Shouto. He looked a little confused by their faces, so he glanced over to Tsukasa to what she thought of them.

But after glancing back she just chuckled and leaned back in her chair, eyes closed.

_..._

_(Well, if they're that good..._

_..._

_...I guess I'll get to have some fun today. Thanks, big sis, for giving me a break after all._

_..._

_... I know you're watching too.)_


	5. Let the Games Begin

**A/N: Before anything else, I wanna apologize for that lame Chapter 4. I got lazy and I know it sucked, but it's fixed.**

**...**

**...yeah, that's it.**

**Actually...wait...**

**...why the fuck is this STUPID system removing my PUNCTUATION SPAM?! IT'S FOR A BETTER FUCKING EFFECT-**

* * *

"OKAY, so who's gonna be first?" Takashi bragged, laughing. "Or are ALL of you scrubs gonna come after me at once?"

_"**Ughh!"**_

_"We're gonna **kill** this bitch!"_

_"Fucking **cunt**!"_

_"Damn this guy!"_

_"Yeah, let's kill 'em!"_

_"**THIS** punk!"_

_"I can't believe him!"_

_"Wow, man!"_

_"This fool's cocky as hell!"_

_"Little **trick!"**_

_"Man, let's rip him apart!"_

_"Yeah, let's **kill** the little fucker, man!"_

_"I'm gettin' **tired** of this bitch!"_

_"I know, keeps runnin' his **fucking** mouth!"_

_"Swear, man, **Imma** stomp on his **fucking** head!"_

_"I know, right?!"_

_..._

...hmph.

Takashi clearly saw it now. Of course, there was no way these guys were gonna just stand there and take his insults. Even if he was just joking around: he really only wanted to go at Kagami. But in fact, they were starting to mob him right now. Tsukasa and Shouto already said they weren't going to intervene even if he and Yusuke were gonna be killed, so...he didn't have any time to hesitate—he turned to his friend.

Yusuke nodded: They were gonna have to go after everyone before they could get their targets.

So they had to get ready. They had to get in their stance, keeping their eyes on the bloodshot angry kids all around them.

They spread their left feet out a bit parallel to get better balance, then they raised their left and right fists to their face and chests.

Their knees were barely bent, but their postures were still perfect. The duo was ready for anything. And even as their stared in the faces of death all around them, they couldn't help but smile at the challenge.

_(Okay. Now how're we gonna split this...?) _Yusuke thought as the gangsters started walking closer to them. He was being sized up—both of them were getting sized up by more than twenty kids in the hall.

_(...no time. We just gotta do it!)_

A tan, average—sized with short, brown hair enemy made the first move. The first kid threw a right hook at Takashi—

_(Heh, not even!)_

—but the transfer sidestepped it and threw his right foot square in the boy's square jaw, and he screamed as he hit the ground and screamed louder as his broken jaw hurt more and more. But before Takashi could even savor that, he was forced to put up his left hand and guard two straight rights from another two kids...and at the same time, Yusuke had just smashed his first opponent against the doorway with a clean spin kick, leaving his left leg out.

_(Damn, another one!)_

Yusuke finished the spin by swinging his left leg a little farther, knocking the pale girl's arm back and opening her guard. But he didn't have the "luxury" of following through since he landed on his left hand, facing away from the stunned girl and—right into a swinging boot from another gangster!

_(Shit!)_

* * *

"Hmph." Shouto smiled. If these two weren't good enough to beat this group, they were about to end up embarrassing themselves hard.

Tsukasa didn't care at all, though. As far as she was concerned, this was just her chance to get back to reading that novel she was nearly finished with: a rather overlooked classic. Legs crossed, the girl kept reading, despite what was happening around her—despite Yusuke's recovery.

* * *

"Fine!" Yusuke shouted. He managed to reach out and grab the boy's leg, pushing him back and making them both fall over. As Yusuke landed on his attacker, the boy grabbed on to Yusuke now with both hands, held him by his shirt, and...he didn't have any way to hit him!

_"Ngh!"_

The gangster flinched in advance: he knew what was coming...

...and it came. Yusuke took his right arm off the other boy's leg, then punched him straight in his left eye!

"AHH!"

He had to take his hands off Yusuke and cover his eye with both of them—and then he punched again! And again!

_"FUCK! AGH!"_

And one more blow to the kid's forehead put him out. It had all taken about three seconds after they hit the ground and Takashi got back up immediately. Four more people were coming now, but he had to calm down. Get in his stance. It wasn't gonna do any good to get too excited.

_(But...I wonder how many guys are left now...)_

* * *

Two black—haired guys and a brown—haired girl, all from 2C, were rushing Takashi, throwing straight left and rights—punches and kicks—he desperately blocked.

_(Damn, if I run away, they're just surround me...)_

And since he couldn't do that (and didn't want to look bad in front of Konata), both his arms were up and he was practically skipping back now, guarding against these three as they kept up their assault.

_(Ugh! How'd I let myself get—**whoa!**)_

One of the brown—eyed boys' kicks grazed the transfer's shoulder! His black shoe nearly hit Takashi in the face, but as he watched the guy's left foot come back, the girl got him in the face with a left hook!

Her hit was spot on, and it made Takashi stumble back, flinching and turning his right cheek where he was hit. Luckily, though, it wasn't enough to make him fall and he was able to keep defending...even though he was still pissed:

**_(Dammit! That fucking b—AH, SHIT!)_**

Out of nowhere, some other kid came and threw a straight kick at Takashi's left side, knocking him down!

_(Agh...the punkass kicked from behind..._

_—wait, he's—about to—)_

—stomp on Takashi's face. The tall, lean kid with short—cropped, black hair and eyes smiled a wicked, delighted smile as he lifted his school shoes above his fearful victim. So did the other three who'd been chasing him.

"Ready, bitch?" he laughed.

"Haha—'bout fuckin' time! / Oh _hell_ yeah! _Now_ it's on!" said the girl and the boy who almost kicked Takashi out.

* * *

Takashi could only look up now. From the ground, he could've taken out one, maybe two of these guys. But four?

_(Fuck! I'm screwed now, Yusuke...)_

He was several yards away from his friend—about ten: there was no way Yusuke would've been able to help in time even though he noticed Takashi was in some serious trouble.

"Ah—Takashi!" he screamed, turning around. Shouto chuckled from his seat as he heard Yusuke and saw the cocky transfer getting stomped on, screaming:

"Yusuke! _UGNN!"_

Tsukasa still didn't hear the two. She only had ten pages left after all.

Yusuke, though, he tried to run over to help but felt a sharp blow to his back—another tanned kid, about his height, furious and ready to fight.

"How about you worry about yourself!" he yelled, throwing a right cross.

Yusuke managed to hop back out of range, but he and another classmate of his ran after him, arms back. But the shorter kid decided to change it up suddenly and stopped in front of his tan partner, turning to the side and hitting Yusuke's left leg with his right kick...

...which meant Yusuke had blocked the kick. One of taekwondo's overlooked elements: blocking attacks with one's legs was just as possible as doing so with one's arms.

And in some cases, it was even better.

The kid was shocked. When Yusuke countered his attack after lowering his leg, he kicked back with his right square in the boy's chest, which knocked him back into the other one—and in an instant, he delivered a swift foot to the face of his staggered foe.

But Yusuke didn't even stay in place to see him fall in the hallway; he turned and started for Takashi who was getting kicked and stomped on, trying as hard as he could to cover himself with his arms on the ground.

_(Hang on, bro! Eh—)_

"Hey, man!"

"Heh, you're not goin' anywhere!"

A brown—eyed blond had just stepped over and grabbed Yusuke's left arm as the latter turned away. Obviously, he wanted Takashi and the other four to "settle their differences" privately. But to help remind him of what was going on over there, two more brunet kids around Yusuke's height stepped over to him.

There intentions were clear—but Yusuke wasn't about to give up yet.

"The hell I'm—a_h—ugh!"_

"How'd that feel?!" one of the boys laughed.

"Hahaha!"

"Yeah, you're gonna die, bro. Heh, you could at least try to say something 'cool' before we kill ya." the blond joked.

...

Yusuke gritted his teeth in pain—and then the two boys that came beside the blond kicked him in the stomach again: he'd taken his first hits.

_"Ngh!"_

"Heh, yo, keep holdin' 'em still while we beat on 'em!"

"No doubt. He's not gonna get to help his little friend while I've got 'em."

"Ugh..." Yusuke groaned as he stared up at—

—at _two more punches right at his face...!_

One fist slammed into his chin, the other hit his left cheek, and all three of them just laughed as he screamed out too!

...

_(Damn..._

_..._

_...ehh...hah...I'm sorry, Takashi...I'm kinda screwed myself right now...such an idiot for letting my guard down like that..._

_Now—**OOPH...**_

**_...how the fuck am I gonna get this punk off me?!)_**

* * *

"Ha. Looks like you were right, Tsukasa. They aren't worth our time."

"...mm."

Shouto's voice was important compared to everything else, him being a high rank and all...but he wasn't really saying anything of interest now. And she only had five more pages to go in her novel.

* * *

_"Man, I can't take this anymore!"_ Konata whispered to Miyuki. Seeing what was happening to Takashi and Yusuke...she had to help..._somehow..._

...

_"...ngh—I've gotta do something!"_

The bluenette began to step out of her cover—before Miyuki pulled her back in straightaway.

_"Yo, what're ya doing?!" _she hissed, turning her head around.

_"Wait a minute, Konata..." _her friend replied. Her eyes were pleading Konata to look a little closer at the scene...and so she calmed down and looked where Miyuki nodded: again at Takashi.

**"HEY!"**

...

And after hearing that shout, the girl set her green eyes on Takashi and saw that he was actually..._starting to get up!_

"Ah—!

—he—"

_"Shh!" _Miyuki said, covering Konata's mouth.

Konata nodded and Miyuki took her hands off...

_"...but...who **is **that...?" _she wondered then.

_"I don't know..."_

* * *

The gangster that had screamed walked over to Takashi. He'd just been watching before but now he saw that this newfag had just knocked out three of his partners.

Only the guy who'd knocked Takashi down was still standing, nervously staring his partner down...

...

"...just...who the hell said you could get off that wall, kid?"

"Heheh—that's all you're worried about now? Wow you're slow."

That pissed the lean boy off alright.

_"Grrrrrr...wanna say that shit **again,** fatass?!"_

"Whew...Kyō...just in time, bro."

But Kyō wasn't listening. This other punk had just pissed him off ten times more...

_(This motherfucker called me a..._

_..._

_...**you can just...)**_

**_"GGRRRR JUST FUCKING DIE!"_**

* * *

Shouto stared in complete and utter shock when he saw what happened next, because—

_**"Ahh!** Let **go** you**—AHHHHHHHHhhhhh!"**_

**_Kyō literally threw that guy out the window! He grabbed the gangster by his face and smashed him straight through the glass!_**

_He didn't even care that his victim probably died from that...he turned around after the glass shattered, scattering with sharp clashes on the floor and out into the grass three stories below...but luckily, the normal children that were in his way were able to scatter away from the wall before the thug was thrown into them or the flying glass cut them._

And Kyō wasn't grinning or thinking about what he did to that kid at all either. Now that he was out of the picture, Kyō set his eyes on the bigger targets and ignored even Takashi who was standing awkwardly right beside him. The boy was glaring straight at Tsukasa and Shouto.

* * *

_(Shit.) _Shouto thought, glaring back. _(I know it's technically fatso's fault so I can't get in trouble for this...but I should still...)_

"Fuck." the gangster sighed as he walked up to Tsukasa. "I gotta go check on 'em. They might actually win so don't take my spot just 'cause I'm not here, okay?"

...

"I wouldn't—"

"Thanks."

"—check on him."

...

...he turned, just a few steps past Tsukasa at that point. He was almost about to leave, but...as he stood beside his the still—seated girl...

"...what are you talking about?"

...

Tsukasa flipped a page. She was reading the postface now, even as she spoke with her classmate, having finished the story itself. It was only six pages long.

"I'm saying I wouldn't. There's no way he could've survived that fall.

You go down if you want, but if they finish before you return..."

"What, you'd seriously just take my spot?"

...

"Yep." she said, turning the page again.

_..._

_(Damn she's fast.)_

...

"...fine. I'll stay then. Not that you'd care anyway but I want my turn."

...

"...are you listening?" Shouto repeated.

"Not really, sorry. I'm nearly done."

_(Ugh...)_

* * *

Outside of their private conversation, no one else was talking. They were all just staring in surprise at Kyō who had quite possibly just killed someone.

But he didn't care...

_(I wonder what those two assholes are talking about... Maybe I should just walk right over there and slam both their heads against each other...)_

Yusuke was one of the guys staring, of course. He was still being held by the blond man that grabbed his arm, and the two others that joined in were still standing beside him, but Haru was also there, having left at the same time as Kyō. He didn't help Yusuke out right then, though, because he was just as shocked as everyone else.

None of the gang members knew how to react.

None of the normals knew how to react.

He didn't know how to react.

...

...but Yusuke sure did.

_(Well, that stopped the party._

_—wait, now's my chance! How can I...yeah! I know that kick pretty well and it should work. Then it'll be me and Haru against those two bastards._

_Time to do it.)_

Yusuke's left arm was being grabbed by the guy behind him and if he tried to break away, he would've left himself open. He had to get himself free with one swift move. Since his back was turned to the guy, though, he couldn't spin around.

_(I gotta fall.)_

And so he did...as much as he could. He stopped standing and left himself fall away until...

"Heh, trying to break loose, bitch?"

The blond pulled Yusuke's arm back, forcing him back as he and his thug friends smirked, not even noticing Haru.

_(Ah-!)_

Haru knew he had to help: he spun towards the gangster holding Yusuke and-

_(Heh.)_

...Yusuke thought...?

_(Perfect!)_

Suddenly, he-he used that pull as a slingshot! As he came up, he spun off his left foot and shot his right, red sneakers into the guy's chin!

_While he was the air, still hanging onto him!_

And Haru-he was about to do a roundhouse kick to the blond, but diverted when he saw Yusuke's move..._he _ended up turning his kick a little further left, his shoe landing right in one of the other boys' stomach.

_(Man, he's good.) _thought the freshman once the boy fell back and he brought his foot down. _(Even his jeans fell up a little. Must've been some kick.)_

He adjusted his glasses then, smirking as Yusuke flipped himself up. That worked out pretty well: now there was only one of them left.

"So you want it too?" Haru threatened. "'Cause I didn't even get to warm up yet."

_"Nghh..."_

* * *

While Takashi looked on, he and Kyō didn't see one of the teens sneak around to the side, behind them both, and ready a haymaker.

Shouto smirked at the sight of this, and Konata nearly lost it again, but Miyuki squeezed her friend's hand to hold her back...

...and right as the kid went for his mark, he made the loud crunch that gave him away: Takashi instinctively spun around, ducked the kid's arm, and hit him in the neck with a right cross, knocking him on the broken glass and making him hack and cough while groaning in pain, clutching his agonizing throat.

It took a few seconds for him to notice how he was bleeding from cuts to his back and arms, but as Takashi and everyone else stared at _him _now, he tried his best to suck up the pain. He struggled to quit his groaning...but eventually he was silent. And Takashi turned to Kyō...but Kyō still had his sights on Tsukasa and Shouto.

"Don't sweat these small fry, Takashi."

...

"...huh? What're you talkin' about?"

"It's those guys we're going for."

"Yeah..."

"You can stomp these guys easy if you want to. Stop trying to save your energy on 'em for when you get to the bosses. Go all out and you'll save more energy anyway...which, after what just happened, I think you might know, right?"

"...hm. Good point." Takashi nodded.

* * *

_(Damn, Haru...don't get so cocky.) _Yusuke thought while he looked around the hall. _(Altogether we only took out about ten of 'em...there's still about twenty more, just on this floor. Probably the only reason we didn't get mobbed harder was because of how friggin' cramped this hallway is right now.)_

As he looked around some more, he saw not only the remaining pissed members of the Hiiragi gang staring in disbelief at how well they were doing, he saw that-fortunately-none of the regular kids had gotten hurt in the scrap. They'd moved farther down the hallway, away from the fight as it got larger, but they were still crowding it enough to prevent all the gang members on the floor from rushing at once. And right now the gangsters were more concerned with beating up this two-now four-man team of rebels than herding those nobodies for second time.

"Well?"

The remaining boy was intimidated by Haru, no doubt. The 2nd-year's pale hands and round face began to sweat and his heart began to rumble.

He was next in line.

Yet he knew he couldn't back down in front of everyone. His eyes began to waver as he thought of his answer...

...but no doubt, it ended up fierce.

_"Why don't you try something since you're so fucking cocky, huh?!"_

"Heh. We already knocked your friends out, fool. Two against one, no shit we're cocky."

...

_"Two against one?"_

Haru turned around.

_(Ah-who...)_

That wasn't the boy next to him who spoke, and it wasn't any of his friends either...what he saw was a tall, bald student cracking his knuckles and staring the four boys down. He was more built than any of 'em-his black mustache only doubled his manliness, making Yusuke, Haru, Takashi, Kyō..._all _of them worry...

Either that or the eight gangsters behind him were doing it...

Or...the seven gangsters behind the blond one, mad-dogging the rebels were...

...

...or...the twelve in the middle of it all, near Kyō and ready to kill him.

And they were about to try.

"Hmph." Haru sighed.

"Bring it on. We didn't come here for nothing."

_(Haru, man..._

_..._

_...ugh, he's right, I guess. Even though they outnumber us hard, we've been doing good so far and...it's not like we're gonna be able to just run away and find Kagami afterwards...)_

Haru's adversary wasn't intimidated at all. The man practically looked like an adult walking up to Haru who stood his ground. The transfer knew he wasn't sure about this guy...but Yusuke was probably the best fighter out of all of them.

_(As soon as we start, I'll take out that guy behind me then we can double team this-)_

**"Wait."**

**"Ah-"**

**_Everyone_**_ gasped. And **everyone** stared in the classroom._

_..._

The lieutenant had finished reading. Her book was lying closed on the desk and she was standing beside it, staring at the bald man.

"Tsu-Tsukasa!"

He barely managed to get his words out as he froze in his tracks, his nervous gaze meeting hers. Was she gonna be letting them see Kagami already? Most of the gang was still here! Even _if_ those punks weren't that hurt yet!

"Everyone stand down. I've seen enough."

"E-enough?"

Tsukasa lowered her head and shot a glare straight through the man's chest.

"You heard me."

...

_"Ah...r-right..._

_..._

_...sorry."_

After the apology, he shifted his gaze to the floor, but everyone else was still eyeing the lieutenant curiously. They all wanted to know why she'd called everything off. Even Shouto seemed like he didn't expect that move, but he kept standing silently where beside Tsukasa, thinking she'd explain herself soon.

"So, what gives?" said Haru. "Think we're dealin' too much damage?"

...

"Actually, yes. Even if you were to lose, my sister would've considered me irresponsible for letting so many of our own get hurt like that."

_(And since I bet she sees and hears me right now from that office...)_

"Ha. Then you realize what we're after."

"You'll lead us to Kagami then?" Takashi asked after Haru. His eyes were wide open with disbelief, not having expected her to concede so quickly...

_(...because...if either her or that Shouto kid fought us while the other gang kids came after us too...now I'm not sure how our odds would be._

_I **think **we'd manage it...but why'd she give up that advantage?)_

"Don't count on it." Yusuke scoffed. "These guys are more classless than that."

"I wouldn't call it classless, but...we did tell you how it was going to be beforehand."

"Hmph, so you want us all to fight you and him then." Kyō figured while walking closer to the doorway. It seemed like he was the leader because Takashi felt compelled to follow beside him, in spite of how arrogant he was being. And as they neared the doorway, Yusuke and Haru instinctively went there too.

In a couple seconds, all four were inside class 2-C with Shouto and Tsukasa. Only the ordinary gang members and ordinary school kids remained outside in the hallway.

* * *

_"Miyuki, you think we should go now?"_ Konata whispered from behind the wall. _"I can't even see 'em anymore."_

_"I don't...think they'd see us if we did now, but let's wait until they're fighting inside the room."_

_"Why wait?"_

_"So if someone calls us out, they'll be too busy fighting to stop and notice."_

_..._

_"Hmm...well, they're alright for now...ok. You've got a point._

* * *

"No, you're wrong." Tsukasa said, replying to Kyō.

"Eh? How so?"

"Both of us don't need to fight your group. That wouldn't be any fair." she stated as the four started growling...

_(This girl...)_

_(She can't be serious...)_ thought Yusuke.

_(Wow this cunt's stupid. She wants a four against one handicap? That's just murder-I think she has problems...good for us.) _Haru smirked.

"So who'll it be?" Takashi asked.

_"'Who'll it be'?_

Listen, kid," Shouto chuckled as he stepped forward in front of Tsukasa, "I already told you _I'm _calling this one. And I can destroy your petty squad without even breaking a sweat."

...

"What's the matter? Afraid?" the high-rank smiled.

"Hell no."

_(His martial arts...it's gotta be on another level compared to these other kid. But he's just one person. Can he really fight against all of us? Can either of 'em?)_

"Sorry, Shouto." Tsukasa said. "But I'm taking this one."

_"Huh?"_

"You can go if they somehow beat me."

"What?! In your dreams-I already called them. You may be the lieutenant but I've been under a little stress recently. I wanna wear it off."

_"You've _been under stress?" she mocked, turning to him.

He looked at her weirdly, as if he'd never heard a tone like that from her before.

And he probably hadn't. Kagami's little sister wasn't the type to complain about _anything_ to anyone, even to her family.

But here she was...

_"I just got had to X this one guy on Kagami's orders."_ she told her classmate in whisper. _"And as soon as I reported back, she was harping on me even though I **volunteered **to do it. It was Misao's mess, but I chose to burden myself to help her out and she didn't care at all._

**I'm **the one who's been under stress recently."

...

"...huh."

_(...well, I can't argue with that...all I did was get dumped by some chick online...and I got another one just this morning...)_

"Eh...well, fine." he continued. "Even though you're pretty much saying that's it for me getting to fight."

"So...is this still a good time to try and takeover? Or are we interrupting a moment?" Takashi joked.

"Mm." Tsukasa replied, shaking her head and facing the challengers again."You'll still fight us if you want to get to Kagami, but there's no point in joking about it: either one of us could kill you all. You've sorely underestimated us-and since you've assaulted our set, by killing you all, we'd technically be defending ourselves."

_"Hmph."_

Kyō growled at Tsukasa while Haru and Yusuke disdainfully glared, but the lieutenant didn't care.

"I'll make it up to you, Takashi. Whenever this comes up again, I promise you can go before me."

_"Riiiight,_ even though you're about to make an example outta these kids.

Yeah, sure, I'm already jumping at the chance to fight next in like...two years. Or never."

"Hmph. If there's always one thing I can count on to make me feel a little better, it's your sense of humor."

"Oh," he smiled, "so you wouldn't mind if I fought then."

"Not a chance." she smirked back.

_(Heh. I knew it.)_

"Well, are you two gonna keep talking?" Yusuke said. "I'd hate to start slapping on a flirting couple."

Both Tsukasa and Shouto chuckled condescendingly at the older boy who laughed back anyway at his joke, along with the rest of his team. All of them were suddenly laughing.

And then Tsukasa stopped. Got serious.

"It's just like the last time: come on if you're ready. Or you try to run away and be chased down by Shouto.

But I swear I'll fight to kill you if you step to me."

...

_(...ngh...she doesn't look that tough, but...she's confident as hell.)_

_(I wonder how far she'll go against all of us...or if we all should even fight her all at once.)_ Takashi thought-and suddenly, he got a bit concerned. _(Is our teamwork even that good together? We might end up just getting in each other's way...)_

"You're not scaring anyone." Haru boasted. "We'll take you on, think not?"

"Wait, Haru." Kyō said.

"Hm? / Hm?"

Yusuke and Haru turned to him, not expecting him to be objecting...he seemed more PO'd than any of 'em, to be honest.

Takashi looked to the right too, before Kyō replied:

"I'm gonna fight them myself."

Tsukasa raised her eyes in mild surprise, and Shouto chuckled, returning to his seat in the back:

"I'll...get out of your way." he said to them both.

Tsukasa was actually kind of interested in this chubby kid. Her mere stare could normally put every student here in their place-but this one...when she stared into his wide, black eyes, he didn't wince for a second.

...

Well, even though she was interested in his courage, his teammates didn't take it so well.

"Whoa, whoa...Kyō: Yusuke and I almost took out three guys in two moves. I don't think..."

"...yeah, man." Yusuke agreed. "We should go together, so we can just gang up on her."

"I don't care. I'm going alone."

"Come on, man." Haru said as the Kyō started walking towards Tsukasa. "You think we're gonna just let you fight without us?"

"Try and stop me. You'll just be leaving yourself open to her...'cause I've already 'stepped' to her."

_(Ah-he's right.) _Yusuke admitted. He hung his head at the thought of this girl being too much for him: _(I don't know much about this guy like Takashi...but I'd rather be standing and waiting to come in if he's hurt than fighting with him while she's beating on us...)_

"But, so you're saying you'd attack _us _if we tried to help you? I know these guys pissed you off, but still, man..."

Haru, unlike Yusuke, still couldn't accept letting Kyō fight on his own. He had to find out why he would decide this, all of a sudden...

Kyō stopped-but before he could answer...

"It's for the best."

_"Huh? / Huh? /_ Hm?"

"Takashi, what're ya talkin' about?" Yusuke said, amazed that his friend-the one who got them all together in the first place-was taking Kyō's side.

"Think about it: If we all attack her at once, it won't mean much in this crowded-ass classroom. We'd be running into chairs and shit more than hitting her and her friend. And you haven't sparred with Haru and Kyō...or me in a while. Our teamwork wouldn't be that good and we'd probably just get in each other's way.

If Kyō goes at her alone, even if he loses, we can intervene and help him out. And then the next person can take over. We'll be doing some good work if we all get our hits in.

_...and then she'll tell us what we wanna know."_

_..._

"...hmph." was Tsukasa's reply.

* * *

_"What are they saying?"_ Miyuki whispered as she kept hiding. _"I can't hear them."_

_"I wish I could tell you..."_

_"But does it look like they're about to fight? Or something else?"_

_..._

_"Um...well, I'm pretty sure they're about to. But they're all inside of the classroom right now."_

_"Really? Then I guess..."_

_"...yeah...it'll be soon. I'll let you know by how the crowd outside reacts."_

_"Okay, thanks."_

* * *

"Hhhnnn...

...well...fine." Haru sighed. But I call next if you go down."

"Gee, thanks." Kyō said, rolling his eyes.

"No problem."

"So, I'm ready-but you can make the first move...

_...Tsukasa."_

...

The lieutenant stared for a bit...before closing her eyes and telling him: "I decline. You're the newcomer."

"Hmph, well it really shouldn't matter anyway. Since you're gonna be trying to kill me."

"Not really. I did say that if you stepped to me, I was going to kill you-and now that you did, there's no way you're leaving this room alive...

...but I at least want to see what you're capable of before you die. So I'm giving you a chance."

"I don't need 'a chance'."

All of a sudden, it seemed like the lieutenant's glare got more intense. Much more intense. She didn't have to scowl up to make her anger known, but just how sharp eyes were spoke volumes.

...

"...you know...your mouth's starting to annoy me. I don't think I'll toy with you anymore...although the first move's still yours."

"I decline." Kyō said, mocking her.

"I _insist."_

...

The classrooms weren't able to take their eyes off this one for a second. This kid, just a freshman, didn't look like he had any martial arts skill at ll. In fact, it looked like the only reason he was able to do anything tough was because of his size. He was a head above Takashi and Haru, and probably weighed a hundred pounds more-most of it wasn't muscle either.

So what made him think he had a chance against Kagami's own sister? Or Shouto? Any of the top members could've probably beat this arrogant hack senseless. He didn't look like he had anything special to hide. Nothing up his sleeve...and yet he was challenging the #2 and #5 ranked gangsters in the school...

_(This guy's crazy. What's he gonna do?)_

_(Man, he's fucked...)_

_(Ha! What an idiot, going up against Tsukasa!)_

_(Dumbass, he obviously doesn't know her.)_

_(How's **he **gonna beat Kagami's sister?)_

_(He's even stupider than he looks-has no idea what he's got himself into.)_

_(I was hoping one of those other kids fought instead. Not tubby...but at least he's goin' first...)_

Though, some of the normals and gang were more wary of what he could do.

_(I'd say he's screwed,) _thought the boy who was about to take on Haru and Yusuke, _(but he **did **knock out three people and throw the fourth out a window...)_

_(Not that it'd be easy to pick Tsukasa up like that, but he's got balls alright...)_

_(With what he did earlier, he might have...well, he doesn't have a chance of winning-but the other kid's right: he can at least do something to Tsukasa before he goes down, I think.)_

_(This guy's no joke. I wonder if he even has a martial art, though.)_

Sure enough, right then he entered his stance.

"Ah-I see." Tsukasa said. _"Shizen-hontai..._

_...so_ _you're a judoka."_

"Huh, so you know this stance well. Not bad." Kyō replied, rather impressed.

The boy loosed his hands and let his arms hang easy, while he stood in place, his hips and knees barely bent. His feet were just barely shifted out, but even with these small adjustments, it would've still looked like he was standing straight and normally to the untrained eye: this must've been a neutral stance.

"I suggest something a bit more assertive unless you just want a quick death." Tsukasa remarked. "But then you might as well bend over."

"Shut up. I'm just getting my rhythm right.

I don't know how you were able to tell what I train in that quickly..."

Suddenly, Kyō slid his right leg a bit forward and bent both more-then he bent his arms out and opened his hands, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

_(Looks like he's about ready...) _Haru figured. _(Good luck, man.)_

_"But_ you've got me suspecting you now. You obviously know more about martial arts than it seemed, so I'm not going to underestimate you."

"'Not going to underestimate me...'

...you already have."

_(Kyō's a 3rd degree black belt, but that doesn't mean as much with judo as it does most other martial arts.) _Takashi thought. _(They've only got two stages: no black belt and black belt ranks...)_

"That's nice;_ I'll remember that when you're on the ground!"_

"Then come!" Tsukasa shouted. There was no way anyone here was gonna take their eyes off the fight now. The last time she was this ardent was when she and Kagami first took over, two years ago.

"Fine! _YAAAHHH-_**huh?"**

Kyō was about to charge in, but then he saw Tsukasa get into her own stance. He-for some reason, he felt like he had to stop.

_..._

_(...why didn't I keep rushing?_

_...I guess I wanted to see what her stance looked like entirely...but that was a stupid move. I could've beaten her up while she was readying herself.)_

...

"...so then..." he concluded..."...you're a kickboxer, huh? And a southpaw."

"I'm a lot of things. And you don't seem to know my exact style. I know, it's hard to figure...but if you manage to land a hit on me, I'll tell you. Otherwise, I'll tell your friends after you're dead."

"What's that supposed to be, a joke?"

"The truth can be funny, I guess."

_(Grrr...this bitch is **DEAD.)**_

_"THAT'S IT!"_

Kyō ran forward with mad rage-it was too clear how much he wanted to kill this girl now...

...so clear that Takashi, Yusuke, and Haru saw it.

That wasn't what they wanted.

"Wait, Kyō! Don't kill her!" Takashi yelled as Yusuke and Haru stared with their mouths open: "Shouto might not know where Kagami is!"

But Kyō didn't care. Not one bit. He brought his right arm back and made a fist before swinging at Tsukasa. He was just a few steps away, and he was gonna land a clean hit.

And that swing...that swing was twice as hard as the ones he used to knock out Takashi's mobbers. He fully intended to kill Tsukasa with everything he had.

_"YAHHH!"_

And that swing...it showed he didn't care at all about what his friends wanted. What their mission was. This girl had lived for too long_-it was over!_

His fist flew, and in a second, it landed perfect!

_The judoka hit the girl straight on!_

...

Or rather, he hit her guard straight on.

"Ah-"

...

"...is that it?" she said, grabbing his wrist with right hand.

_"Ugh-_-_**GET THE FUCK OFF!"**_

Instead of trying to pull out of Tsukasa's grip, Kyō swung wide and hard again with his left-harder, actually-but the lieutenant shifted a little to the right and his punch flew right past her shoulder...

"Hmph."

_(Ah...n-no way...! What-kind of kickboxing...!)_

...

"Well...too bad."

**_"AGGHHH!"_**

_(Ah-oh **man!)**_

_(Yo...**insaaane!)**_

**_(Damn!_**_ That guy's done for!)_

**_(Wow!)_**

**_(Jeez, man! One kick!)_**

Yeah-just...one kick! Kyō was so shocked from being dodged like that, he froze still...

...and that was two mistakes too many for his opponent. She...didn't show him any mercy at all! She just shot her left leg straight up against his face, snapping his head back brutally!

...

...and then...with her hand still gripping his, she felt it went limp. His eyes were open wide and his mouth was open too...but...

Without another word...she pulled her arm back and threw him into some of the desks behind her.

Then finally, his eyes and mouth closed.

...

"K-

...Kyō..."

"Stay here, Takashi." Yusuke said. "I'm gonna check on him. I don't think Tsukasa would mind _that."_

"Don't bother. I said I was fighting to kill, so that kick: was to _kill."_

_"Tch..."_

"Who's next. As if it matters anyway if you're all on _that _level."

_(Ughh...**dammit...I told him we should've fought together...and NOW look! Yusuke and I, we should've just pulled him away...**_

**_..._**

**_...or...something...)_**

* * *

_"Miyuki, I think we should head over now."_

_"Right."_

The two girls left their spot behind the wall pretty fast, but then they walked casually towards the group of gang members and normal kids standing around, watching the-well, what was left of the fight...

None of the gang members bothered to stop them or anything. Only a few people noticed them, and those stares didn't linger for long at all. Just like everyone else, Konata and Miyuki looked anxiously at what was inside after scooting through a few bystanders who _weren't_ with Kagami's group.

It took them a few seconds to understand what they saw, but...when they understood, they _understood._

**_(MAN...!_**

**_...WHAT DID SHE DO...?!)_**

_"It's terrible..._

_..._

_...Konata..."_ Miyuki started.

The blunette was still in a bit of a daze, but she turned to her left where Miyuki was standing beside her...

...

...and Miyuki knew to continue: Konata was stunned, but she was still listening.

And so, Miyuki said:

"...I hope you're ready to step in soon, Konata..."

...

_"...yeah."_ she nodded.

* * *

"Haru."

The grieving child turned to Yusuke...

...who knew what the younger boy was thinking.

"What."

...

"You're really pissed now."

"Oh really."

"Please tell me you're about to do the same thing."

"He was my _friend. _Don't tell me not to."

"Don't be an _idiot,_ Haru!"

_That did it. _The kid walked up to Yusuke with eyes of hatred. His eyes were the same as Kyō's once were...

_"The fuck you say?!"_

"Look," Yusuke began, trying to calm him down, "you think that make me happy or something? Seeing what happened to him?

No! But we can't just do this one-on-one crap anymore! Kyō didn't get a single hit in...and he's probably dead.

And Tsukasa's perfectly fine! We're already down a man...we can't-"

"So what're you tryna say? That I'd lose without getting a hit in?

He was _my _friend, not yours. If she did Takashi like that, you'd be feelin' the same way as me."

"I wouldn't wanna go out by myself, though."

_"What?"_

"I mean-go out and fight her by myself. And we've still got that Shouto guy afterwards. It was a good idea to go one-on-one, but it's not working out. She's too good for us to-"

"Just shut the fuck up. You might think I'm a hypocrite but this bitch just pissed me off for real."

Tsukasa looked eerily at the freshman after that comment...

_(And you just put yourself on death row._

_'For real'.)_

"Hey, Yusuke..."

"What, man? You're really gonna say Haru should go by himself after _that?"_

"Yeah, and...the reason why...

...

...I'm about to sound like an asshole here-but we'd be better off fighting together without him."

"Wha-? / Huh?"

The surprised Haru _was_ stepping forward, but he turned around when he heard Takashi say that. Shouto and Tsukasa couldn't help but stare strangely at him. The group wasn't getting along, but it didn't make any sense for them to outright insult each other...

"Not to insult you, Haru: you've got the same anger as us, but as much as it sucks, it's stronger for you 'cause that was your friend. You're gonna be more aggressive, and that's better for you when aren't in your way."

"Hmph."

"And Yusuke..."

"...yeah?"

"We've got better teamwork by ourselves than the three of us, even if we haven't fought in a while"

"'A _long _while'."

"But still, it shouldn't be too hard to get back into it. And if he wants to fight alone, we can't stop him without exposing ourselves...again... That's really all that matter."

...

"...true...but..."

_"Yusuke: I can take care of myself." _Haru smirked, turning back to Tsukasa. "Heh. Don't worry. I promise I'll take her down."

"Ah...if you...say so."

"I trust him." Takashi added, "But let's get ready to jump in, just in case he really needs our help. We already see that she doesn't hold back..."

"Then that defeats the point of trying to jump in. It'll already be too late." Tsukasa remarked.

"Pft. Stop underestimating me, you twat. Just saying, you shouldn't judge a person you're fighting now by a person you've fought before. You might not expect things."

_(Like, even though Kyō was really good, I'm sure I'm better than he was. I always won our spars and my style's safer against someone who fights with long kicks like you. And Takashi's a little better than me-and I heard Yusuke's better than all of us.)_

"For your sake, I hope you're saying you're better than he was."

The lieutenant raised her fists up to just below her cheeks and turned a bit to the side. Her knees, though, were barely bent and her feet were barely apart in a semi-open stance. But she wasn't neutral: she was ready for completely whatever Haru was about to do.

"You never told us:" he said. "What's that style, exactly?"

"Mm. Of course.

I know with a lot of styles, but above all...

Tsukasa had to gaze down and try to hide the slight smile creeping up in her. Supposedly, no normal kids knew what style she specialized in because she only told her closest friends and other vets like Konata were good enough to figure it out for themselves. For some reason, no one really spread rumors about her style: it was probably because they couldn't tell for sure what she did.

_"...heh..."_

Sure, most of the school's students and staff knew she kickboxed-but that didn't tell anyone much. Few gang members and even fewer regular students knew what she practiced specifically, and none of the gang members ever wanted to let the normals know for sure whether or not their guesses were right.

And now, all the normals on this floor were perking up twice as much to hear what the lieutenant was going to say, absolutely still and silent as they intently listened to her words. Konata and Miyuki were just as still as suspenseful as the rest of the crowd watching the scene unfold, saying nothing to each other and attentively awaiting Tsukasa like the final tense moments of a captivating movie: they had to hold their breaths.

It was sort of ironic, though: unlike Tsukasa _no one _knew her sister's fighting style. And now she knew _everyone_ was going to know hers.

...

_"I've mastered **savate."**_

...

Haru stared in disbelief.

"Ah...did you say..._'savate'?"_

"Mm."

* * *

_"She said 'savate'?"_

_"Yeah..."_

_"That's a sissy style!"_

_"Why savate? That's so outdated..."_

_"I don't get it..."_

_"So, wait, she does kickboxing...?"_

_"I never heard of that..."_

_"What's she talking about?"_

_"Didn't you hear her?"_

_"Yeah, but..."_

_"How'd she beat that guy with savate?"_

_"What, you didn't see that kick?"_

_"She, like, grabbed his arm, though. And clutch-kicked him."_

_"Man, I thought she did something cool, like hapkido."_

_"That's a weird-sounding name."_

_"No wonder she moves so nice."_

_"Well, that's interesting."_

* * *

_"Hey, Konata..."_ Miyuki suddenly whispered with the people around her.

_"H-huh?"_

_"...what's savate? I heard 'kickboxing'?"_

_"Ah-_

_-well..."_

"Yeah, it's basically French kickboxing."

_"Huh? / Huh?"_

Miyuki and Konata turned around to see whose deep voice that was.

And it was: "...that bald man from earlier!"

...

"Really. That's what you're gonna say to one of the tops of the crew."

"Ah-I'm...sorry..." Konata said. Miyuki stared nervously at the irritated man. She felt that her friend was getting into trouble, so she thought:

_(I have to say something.)_

"Um...thank you..." the younger, taller girl smiled.

"Mm." the gangster smiled back. "I'm Renji. What's your name?"

A few heads turned to see the conversation, but they were soon back on the more interesting fight about to take place between Tsukasa and Haru.

"I'm Miyuki. And this is Konata." she said, facing her friend.

"Nice to meet you two. I hope you're ready to see what happens to cocky little shits like this, heh." he replied before turning back to the fight like everyone else. Then Miyuki and Konata looked on for another second or two before they turned back to the fight as well.

Nervously.

* * *

_(Savate...) _Yusuke thought... _(...what a weird style to specialize in...and yet..._

_..._

_...with those shoes she has on, maybe it's a perfect choice if her kicks are as good as they seem.)_

But Takashi was a lot more impressed with the girl than his partner.

_(Hmm...so she's a savateuse. That's interesting. I've never seen anyone practicing savate do that well up close, and against someone who specializes in grappling._

_If she says she's a master, I'm not doubting her for a second. They say savate's the martial arts version of fencing...fencing with your legs, measuring the distances between you and your opponent perfectly, always feinting and only striking for sure when you know you have a clear shot. It involves boxing too, but only when you're too close to the person up against...but she screwed the rules like it was no big deal...)_

"Seriously?" Haru repeated at Tsukasa. "'Savate'?"

"Are you being dense on purpose?"

"'Dense'?

No, I think you're joking. It's gotta be some other style. I mean, really: no one in their right mind would use such a piss poor style.

Muy thai or American kickboxing...sanshou..._anything _but savate! That's for punks!

...actually...

...heh-well, I guess that's why you're using it right? That pretty dancing style all about fancy footwork instead of strong, effective kicks, barely covering punches at all. No clinching at all, no knees or elbows, not many punches or even kicks anyway...

...just a pathetic, _weak,_ **bare** style."

"Hmph," she gibed, "I said I've mastered it: spare me the rambling.

But you can try telling that to _Kyō._ I'm sure _he'd _love to hear."

...

_"Y..._

_..._

_...you...**bastard..."**_

"Heh."

Haru started aggressively walking towards Tsukasa-he wasn't even in a stance, but he probably didn't even notice. Just like his dead partner, all he wanted to do now was get at this girl and...

**_"I'm going to fucking..."_**

"Haru: Don't just go in recklessly. You don't even look prepared."

"Shut up, Takashi." Haru snapped after he turned and glared. "I know what I'm doing. I was just about to show her a _real _style right now."

_(Looks like he's not completely mindless after all.) _Tsukasa thought as she kept her stance. _(It wouldn't even be funny if this trash tried to come at me without a stance.)_

Just like he said he would, Haru got in his stance then. The kid was right-handed but slid his left leg out and slightly turned his right foot out. He was practically leaning forward, though he quickly assumed a straight posture even as his knees were bent.

_(Is that a horse stance?)_

Then he leaned forward some again, stretching his arms out, left forward and right back. His left arm lied flat at a right angle, his right arm was bent somewhat a bit less. And he kept shifting his weight on and off the right foot behind him.

_(...that posture...)_

"Ready?" he taunted, continuing to shift his weight.

...

"...that...

...

...that must be silat."

Haru smirked.

"Oh, you _are _good."

"At least you won't be as straightforward as your friend, then."

"Hmph."

"I'm guessing you've got a knife too?"

_('A knife'?) _Takashi wondered... _(...I didn't see him with...)_

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"I know you have one. You didn't come here to lose. The only reason you came here was to give it your all...which makes you rather smart. Silat practically demands a knife to be used to the fullest."

"True."

With those words, Haru stood back up out of his silat stance and reached into his right pocket.

When he pulled out, everyone got to see the hand-sized black pocket knife he'd been concealing. After unsheathing it, everyone got to see the sharp metal blade, completely clean like it'd never been used.

Takashi couldn't believe what he was seeing...

_(What...the hell...?)_

_(He's really got a knife.) _Shouto thought to himself. _(He's really serious about this...but if he kills Tsukasa, how's he expect to...I never said I'd take 'em anywhere—and the other guys knows that too.)_

"I take it you just bought a week ago max?"

"Yep, actually got it from a friend, new. Gotta keep 'em sharp, 'Tsu', right?"

"Don't call me that."

"Heh.

Again: you ready?" Haru said, getting back into his stance. He held his knife in his left hand, ice-pick style.

_(I wonder why he's holding the knife that way, especially if he's right handed. Probably to try and cut or stab me at the same time he blocks left...it's a pretty clever technique.)_

"Hmph.

First, Imma take that stupid tool outta your hand. Then, Imma 86 your sorry ass and throw you in with the pile of garbage behind me.

Yeah, I'm talkin' about Tubby alone."

...

_"Then let's go."_

Haru rushed forward but kept his calm too, even after his opponent kept insulting his friend. It didn't matter: he couldn't make a stupid mistake and lose now—not when he was trying to avenge his friend like this.

_(Nice. He's taking his time...controlled anger...)_

But he had to strike at some time—and he _swung the knife forward!_

_(Ah—what?!)_

Tsukasa barely saw the blade swoosh past her hair, her face...and she was so shocked that she didn't even think to counter—but when Haru went for the second swing, he did it with his outstretched arm, not even bringing it back.

_(Damn!) _Tsukasa thought—she only had time to duck the slash as the knife grazed the yellow bow on her head.

_(Gotta counter!)_

He smirked at the lieutenant, seeing her desperation. That was exactly what he wanted to hear...

...and now...

_(Time to **end** this!)_

The lieutenant was on the ground, completely defenseless! There...was no way she'd be able to dodge! She was too off her guard!

Shouto couldn't believe his eyes: this freshman was really going for the kill!

_He was **really** gonna do it!_

**_(TSUKASA!)_**

**_(I gotta...)_**

**_Counter! _**_Tsukasa flipped her head back and fell, catching herself with her hands on the ground—and with that leverage, she went for one desperate right kick, shooting her shoe straight up—_

_-straight up into **Haru's chest!**_

_"Agh!"_

The pesilat ended up stumbling back into the left wall in front of the classroom, not even able to catch himself! He hit the wall hard and his arms couldn't stop him, but luckily he was still able to barely hold on, grabbing and resting himself up on the metal chalkboard.

As soon as he got himself together, he saw that Tsukasa was already back in her kickboxing stance—and she looked exasperated.

_(Fuck...I..._

_...hah...almost had her..._

_..._

_..._

_...but...**DAMN **she kicks hard... ...the fuck is she wearing with that summer uniform?_

_White sneakers or **fucking steel-toed combat boots?**_

_My heart felt like I skipped a beat, man...hell, even when I trained with Takashi and he landed clean kicks on me, they weren't ever **that **heavy...and she was freakin' on the ground too...)_

...

"...hey." he finally said...he was noticing how angry his opponent looked right now.

Tsukasa kept staring, though.

...her eyes were so sharp...

...

...so sharp that Haru didn't even try to say anything else. He just got back in his stance. Bent his knees, bent his arms, shifted his feet, shifted his weight.

Got ready for her rage.

...

But she didn't start fighting him: she started complementing him.

"Hmph...I thought you were clever...

...but you're more clever than I thought. Color me impressed."

"Um...well, thanks. I didn't take you for the complimenting type."

"I can respect shrewd skill when I see it."

"You're one to talk..." Shouto sighed, relieved.

"Hmph." she chucked. "I just did what I had to do. I wasn't expecting to be pushed that far, though."

Haru smirked at the compliment.

"Ha. You're too kind, Tsukasa."

"Don't call me that either.

The way you held that knife...and the way you're still holding it, I thought you were gonna use it to block my strikes and hurt me at the same time. But you ended up using that knife instead of your right hand to attack. I admit, you got me."

"Did I? I didn't really plan it; I use the knife to attack and defend. Sure, I'll probably block with it more, but that doesn't mean I can't do both. Silat isn't restrictive like that. Looks like you've been over-thinking things...miss."

...

"Hmph." she chuckled. "Looks like I have."

_"Heh..."_

_..._

_"Heh..."_

...

"Heh...heh..."

"Heh...heh..."

"Hahahahaha..." / " Hahahahaha..."

_"Kch..." / "Tch..."_

**"Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" / "Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"**

**_"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"_**

* * *

_"...what are they doing...?"_ Konata quietly wondered.

_"I think it's because he finally called her something she's okay with."_ Miyuki replied.

_"Yeah...but...aren't they trying to **kill **each other?"_

_"...mm...I suppose you're right..."_

"Haru's not an idiot. He knows he has more to lose than Tsukasa. Even though he was probably willing to slash her, _unlike_ her, he can't kill her."

_"You mean Tsukasa can kill him but not vice-versa since they're tryna find Kagami from her?"_ Konata asked, turning to Renji behind her.

"Yeah. You cleared it up well.

And you don't have to keep whispering. I'm talking to you. We're only in the middle of the crowd, so no one inside'll hear you."

"...okay..."

"But then...I still don't think I understand why they're laughing..." said Miyuki.

By now, both Tsukasa and Haru were nearly doubled over in mutual laughter. They were so caught up in laughing that they weren't paying the smallest bit attention to the awkward stares all around them. Whatever had them breaking down like this, it was so out of character, even Shouto was confused.

But Renji understood.

"Like I said, Miyuki: he's may be an arrogant little shit, but he's not an idiot. I can tell by seeing him fight. He's making smart decisions.

The reason he's laughing with her is because he knows that what's happened to his friend has already happened. And he knows he's either gonna have to win his fight or die...no running away.

There's no point in being a moody punk. Whatever I wanna call 'em, he's fucking brave, taking it to Tsukasa. I'll give 'em that."

"I see..."

_(Also probably 'cause they were laughing at the same time...) _Konata thought.

* * *

_"Haha..._

_...oh man..."_

_"Heheheh..._

_...you know..._I still hate you even though you're funny."

"Heh, and I'm still gonna murk you. Thanks for the laugh, though. You're not as bad as I thought you'd be."

"I'd say the same if it weren't for you talking shit about Kyō."

"Well, you can't have it your way all the time—ready to continue?"

Haru raised his knife up again.

"Yeah. I've got a feeling I can't surprise you anymore. Sucks for me."

"Free to try. Don't let the knife put you out your mind, though."

"Nah..." he said—and then he broke into a dash—

_"I think I'll be more direct anyway!"_

And he charged _fast!_ He got at Tsukasa in a second as she stood in place, throwing a straight right at her right hand: her _blocking_ hand.

_(Attacking my guard? Without a weapon?_

_Heh.)_

Tsukasa easily sidestep of his slow punch and threw a left of her own at his face!

-just what he wanted too!

_(Ha!)_

The transfer didn't even try to dodge her counter! He merely stepped back a bit...

_(Perfect.)_

...then...lunged back at her hand with his knife!

_(Ah-again!)_

Haru was already imagining Tsukasa's fist, then arm, then chest...slashed up-and he was gonna make it happen! Tsukasa didn't have any time to back up: she was learning forward in her stance and he was just waiting for her to try and do that falling kick!

So...

...

_...she kicked it out his hand!_

_(Hmph.) _Haru smiled-was he planning...? _(Like I thought-but...)_

While her left leg was in the air, she was completely open...

...and, well...

_...Haru knew._

**_(Ngh-watch out, Tsukasa!)_**Shouto nearly shouted from the edge of his seat. His friend was _stunned..._

...but she didn't seem too focused either...

_(Wow, this guy's **good...)**_

...

...right as he brought his left leg back! He was aiming right for stomach, and he had the clearest shot he could've asked for!

_(...why didn't he join us? He would've been so useful...)_

"So you quit?!"

Haru laughed as brought his perfect counter on! He launched a kick straight at the dazed girl, smiling the whole time!

_(Let's go.)_

He was really gonna get in a clean hit! He had a chance after all!

...

But the lieutenant instantly swung her leg over into his, throwing it up!

Throwing him up! Flipping him over!

_(Agh-what the FU-)_

He couldn't think, though. She went for an axe-kick aimed straight at his face and he was just **barely** able to lift his chin up!

The ceiling spun around him as he flipped, but when the floor suddenly came rushing at him, he threw his hands down and stuck a crouch landing!

And Tsukasa was rushing right at him!

"Ah-"

Haru quickly got back in his stance and pulled the spare knife out of his left pocket.

And Tsukasa stopped.

Like a fencer, she judged her distance more than anything else. It wasn't conducive for her to attack him now. Not as she was just discovering...

"...you have another knife...?"

"Yeah, heh."

"That scared, huh..." Shouto sighed.

"I was gonna give it to Takashi today...but then I decided, well, I'd be needing it more than him."

"Gee, thanks." his friend said as Yusuke laughed.

"I didn't know your kicks were so fast, though. And you've got a nice spatial sense. Looks like I'll have to up my game even more."

...Tsukasa looked at him a bit...tried to understand his reasoning...

...

...because it sounded like he was enjoying this a lot.

_Too 'a lot'._

_('He'll...have to up his game,' huh.)_

Yeah right.

(Then I'll have to get serious with him. No point in toying when I've seen everything...

...but...)

The lieutenant put her hands in her pockets. It threw Haru off and bit and he started to drop his guard-but he realized how stupid _that_ was and stopped fast.

She saw that hesitance clearly even though he tried to hide it: "Hey, you don't have to be scared." she said.

"'Scared'?!

Ha, I'm not scared of you girl. Both you and your friend can shut up with that. A good fighter always keeps his guard up."

"Right.

Okay, well...that doesn't matter anyway. I've got a...

...

...proposition of sorts for you. Before I get serious."

_('A proposition'?) _Yusuke wondered. _(The hell's she talkin' about?)_

_(Wait, is she actually tryna...)_

Takashi looked on incredulously...

...she couldn't mean...

"Not interested." the transfer said.

"Curb the tough-guy act for a sec. You might wanna hear this."

"Tsukasa," Shouto began as he stood from his desk...

...

"...are you nuts?"

"What? Shouto, you can't deny this kid's talent. He'd better off with us then dead."

**_(Wow!) / (Wow!)_**

* * *

_"She's actually recruiting the kid!"_

_"Yeah, what's up with that?"_

_"Well, he's a good fighter."_

_"Man, I wish I was as good as that guy..."_

_"Damn...I can't believe..."_

_"He's better than I thought, though."_

_"You think he'll say yes?"_

_"He'd be an idiot if he doesn't."_

_"Nah, they were pretty even, I think. He can say yes or no."_

_"Is this guy actually gettin'...?"_

_"What? Tsukasa was goin' easy on 'em."_

_"I know right?"_

_"Yeah, but I'd still say yeah. Fuck he's lucky, man..."_

"But wait," Konata said, "isn't that dangerous?"

"Mm." Miyuki nodded. "He-and his friends, too, if they're invited-, they can fit in within the group and then catch Kagami and the others by surprise. I don't see why he said no...unless he already thinks..."

"He doesn't think, hahah." Renji laughed-knowing what was on Miyuki's mind. "He knows. No one of note in our gang would drop from him. And you _can't _catch Kagami by surprise. She has a fucking Spider Sense."

"...really?" / "...really?"

The gangster smiled.

"Trust me. I'm not some grunt-I'd know."

* * *

"Huh?" Tsukasa repeated...

...Shouto'd been staring at her the entire time. A bit more doubtfully than Haru too.

_"Huh...?"_

"'Huh.'" he repeated, mockingly. "You know what, you're not crazy. You've got a point. He'd be better off with us so he can pull out those knives attack the other rookies when we least expect it, right. Great idea.

...he's not even that good."

_(This guy.) _Haru thought. He wasn't gonna just let the girly douche insult him like that.

"Hm, well, I'm hanging with the lieutenant-who I _think _can kick _your _weakass. So I'm pretty sure _I _can kick your weakass, bitch.

But if I'm wrong, why don't you take your punkass outta that seat and fight me one on one, fruity-locks?"

"Heh," Shouto chuckled, "no thanks, kid."

He obviously didn't take Haru seriously at all...

But Haru just smirked at his cool reply.

"What, _you_ scared"?

"He's not scared at all." Tsukasa replied for him. "You're not a threat to him since he doesn't like to gauge his opponents' skills like I do. And even if he did accept your challenge and you tried to fight him, I wouldn't let you.

I'm your opponent...even though I don't have to be...

Kagami could use talent like yours and...not only would you live, you'd live pretty well-off too."

"I'd rather not, miss."

"Really. You're going to say no to this.

Do you know how good life would be for you if-"

_"I think you're missing the point, Tsukasa."_

...

"...what?"

"We don't _care _how good life is in your fucking thuggish clique. Why do you think I even came here?

To _stop _it.

You're really assuming I'd just sell-out like that? Gimme a break, man."

...

* * *

...Shouto shook his head.

_(Moron's gonna get himself killed...)_

* * *

Konata and Miyuki stared in amazement. It really took some courage for this guy to speak like that to the lieutenant...

...and everyone else thought the same thing. He was really pushing his...life...

_(But...) _Konata thought..._ (...he's brave but a freaking idiot. He's got no chance against Tsukasa if she's that confident. She was probably just toying around the whole time..._

_...which means the guy that fought her last..._

_...man, what a gap between 'em...)_

* * *

"...I guess I can't change your mind. Were you any less skilled, I'd have already killed you, using that tone.

I'm going to ask you again, though. Just one more time: are you sure you don't want to be on the _winning _side...?"

Haru stared...but it wasn't out of anger.

And he didn't give a smartass reply right after either.

...

_No...that...'thoughtful' look on his face..._

_..._

_...he was actually thinking it over..._

"Don't listen to her, Haru. We're so close already." Takashi said.

"Yeah," Yusuke added, "don't let her scare you. Once we beat these two, we can go straight to Kagami.

...right?"

Tsukasa saw Yusuke's eyes on her, so she closed her eyes, smirked and chuckled a sec.

"Mm. I don't lie. I'd take you there...if you won."

...

"Then it looks like we're gonna see her anyway." Haru stated.

...

_"...so what're you saying?" _Tsukasa asked. "I won't be testing you out anymore, you know..."

"Good. Like I said, Imma give it my all too. I don't want you going easy."

...

"...well..."

Tsukasa lowered her eyes...reluctant.

It looked like she really didn't want to fight this guy to the end.

_"...even if I outclass you in everything...I can't change your mind, can I..."_

"Nope.

Ready?"

Haru was already in his stance...but Tsukasa didn't even worry about hers. Things like that weren't worth this opponent.

"Not gonna get serious after all? Hmph."

"I don't need to assume a stance to beat you." she replied, walking forward.

A dead serious glint was in the girl's violet eyes. She meant every one of those words.

"In fact," she continued, "even though you're a weakling, I'm gonna end it quick for you, since I admire your style."

"Just _shut up!"_

...

"...right."

"Know what?! Come on!"

Haru was pissed off again now! He rushed at the girl before she got to him, throwing his knife forward! Tsukasa easily saw the move, though, and-

-no! He pulled the knife back!

The girl looked a bit weirdly at his erratic movements, but he had a plan alright: stepping off his right foot and to the left, he strafed around her back then and now he had that and her neck in range! She was completely open!

_(Yeah, Haru! That's it!) _Takashi thought! He knew they didn't train so long for nothing!

"Heh." Yusuke laughed.

Konata and Miyuki looked on in silence. He looked like he won...but...

...well, this was _Tsukasa_ after all...

_(Time to end it!)_

Haru swung his knife from that blocking hand and the glint of metal flew down towards Tsukasa like a shank-and all he needed was one stab to get her down!

_(This is for **Kyō!)**_

It was over! The blade was just inches from her and now...

_...now..._

_..._

_..._

_...no._

_..._

_...she...sidestepped it?! From **behind?!**_

The-the knife went sailing past her left shoulder as she turned around-

-and then...so calmly...she just grabbed the kid's wrist with her left hand and slid her foot out to sweep him!

The trap was _perfect! _And when she left go of him, he fell straight on his back!

"Agh!

**Ahh!"**

Tsukasa then stomped her right foot on his knife-hand and put another to his face!

_"W...what..."_

The lieutenant wasn't even listening to the surprised boy. She brought her left foot across his head and stepped down beside him. With her right still on his wrist, Tsukasa bent down and took the knife from his hands. Meanwhile, Haru was grunting in pain as he pushed her foot down when she reached over on him...

...in just a second he went from having a complete advantage to...this...

...

_(...what the hell's happening...?)_

When Tsukasa was up again, she told him, "...before I 'end it,' though, I'm taking the knife.

_'A good fighter' _doesn't carry pathetic tools to help him out.

And sorry if this doesn't look like savate. Like I said, you're not worth wasting movements on and getting into stances. I tested to see."

...

"Now stand up so we can fight for real. Not like fucking barbarians."

"...what...the _fuck _are you talking about..." Haru uttered from the ground.

"I'm saying crutches like this knife won't help you." Tsukasa replied, fiddling with the weapon in her left hand.

...

...slowly, Haru started to get up...

_"Just STAY DOWN, Haru! We'll take over!" _Yusuke yelled from the door.

_"Listen to him, man!" _Takashi shouted._ "Two on one and we're good together! We got this!"_

Haru didn't pay them any attention. He stared at Tsukasa, then her hand...and the pocket knife in it.

"It's distracting, isn't it? Welcome to my world." she chuckled, putting the knife in her chest pocket.

...

"Give it back. I don't need your retarded lectures."

"Fine, don't listen to my advice. But if you want your crutch you know you're gonna have to take it.

By the way, I was talking about your friends, not the knife."

_(Ugh...she's so good, but..._

_...I'm **NOT** gonna let her beat me! I **can't! After...what she did to Kyō...I CAN'T!)**_

"Out of smart retorts?" Tsukasa mocked.

Little did she know, he didn't _want _to reply...

...at least not verbally.

It was time._ Haru brought his right arm back **and...**_

_"What about THI_**-**

_..._

_"...urgh...ah..._

_..._

_...ah..."_

...and she'd already made her move. Her casual little roundhouse kick drove into his chest, sending him in the air, too shocked to even scream. The floor was absolutely silent under a moment later he slammed through three desks and chairs close to the Shouto who was still sitting.

The 2nd year boy looked over...

...Haru was lying underneath a couple of chairs that flipped over when he fell...he'd broken the three desks when he crashed into them.

He was struggling to barely life his head off a slanting, cracked section of wood. But he just couldn't...

...and when it slid back, he slumped on the floor. Unmoving.

...

_(...in..._

_..._

_...sane...)_

_..._

_..._

_...and that was it._

* * *

_..._

_"...with one kick...again..._

_...did she really just..."_

_..._

_"...I...I think she did, Konata..."_

All the normal kids stared in fear an awe. For them, this wonderful dream was becoming a total nightmare...

...but for the gangsters that saw this, the nightmare was becoming the sweetest dream they could've ever imagined today. So of course Renji wasn't despairing like the girls beside him. Like the others in his group, he looked on smugly at the scene, happy that another one of those dumbass tryhards was taken down.

_(Heh, it's about time you stopped playing with that arrogant brat. He deserved that and more.)_

* * *

"...so..." Shouto started, "...why'd you give him to me? I don't want him."

"My fault. I meant to kick him over where the other guy was."

"At least you're just one row off."

"Yeah..."

_(But Kagami could've made those guys lie on top of each other...I bet she's laughing right now...)_

"...you can...move him in the pile if you want..."

"Ok." he said getting up.

And back at the front of the classroom...

...

...well...

**_(THAT..._**

**_...FUCKING BITCH...!_**

**_...HOW?! H-HOW COULD SHE JUST...)_**

...

_"...Takashi..."_

...

_"...what...man..."_

"I hope you're not getting discouraged.'Cause it's _our _turn to fuck this _bitch _up now..."

...

**_"Damn right."_**

"You two should stop taking it so personally." Tsukasa remarked. "I said I was gonna kill him if he stepped to me, and I _still_ ended up giving him a chance with us. He was the idiot for not taking it-and his idiocy cost him his life...although...I'm guessing neither of you want a chance with us either, based on what you said earlier."

**_"Go to Hell." / "Go to Hell."_**

*sigh*

_(Looks like I was right.) _she thought, observing the taekwonda as they assumed their stances.

"I don't feel sorry for you, you know."

Now Tsukasa got in her kickboxing stance, a little more closed than an ordinary boxing stance. From behind her guard, the lieutenant said:

"The scrubs behind me could've fell back but they were too _**fucking fake** to stop fronting._

He's lucky I made it quick like I said I would. Of course you won't even give me credit for that, though. He didn't even scream."

She was right: a kick like that probably did take a lot of skill...but...Yusuke and Takashi stayed silent anyway...

"If there's one thing I _do _feel sorry about, it's that you won't be joining our ranks. Your stances are excellent. Even better than that Haru's. But you wanna throw your lives away...so fine."

Shouto was staring at these new kids from over at the broken desks and chairs, and now that he sat down again from dealing with the dead freshman, his curiosity was growing even more.

Never mind how good they seemed compared to Kyō and Haru...that feeling he got from seeing their near-perfect stances and postures didn't matter as much: it was that perfect _confidence_ that really interested him.

Yet it wasn't a "proud" sort of confidence.

...

_It was how "confident" they were that they were going to **murder** his friend._

_Shouto didn't need them to cuss her out or rage at all to see that...and he didn't even need to see in their sharp, furious eyes._

_All he needed was their silence. That still air about them. It was a dead kind of hatred...the one where you knew you had nothing else to fall back on. Nothing else to give-and nothing else to feel._

_It was the exact same loathing those thugs outside felt towards the when this all started._

_...only ten times more terrible._

They definitely weren't going to "test her out". That was for sure.

"Oh, wait." the lieutenant remembered. She stood up and reached into her chest pocket..."Before I kill you, I don't need this."

She pulled out Haru's knife and threw it at Takashi, the angriest one over the boy's sudden end.

The weapon spiraled like a wheel but darted fast as if she'd been knife-throwing for years.

"And what makes you think we will?" Takashi said as he caught it by the handle.

The kids outside looked on in amazement. They'd started pushing to get out the way, thinking he wouldn't have caught it-they couldn't even see it until he did.

What they didn't know, though, was that Takashi would've rathered taking the blade in the chest than letting someone innocent in the crowd get hit. And he never backed down from _any_ challenge.

"Yusuke never said he'd use this...I never said _I_ would..."

"I already know you won't use it."Tsukasa replied. "_Because you're a little bit more sensible than your dead friends. If you wanna run like your life depends on it now and have something to remember him by in your new school, you've got ten seconds."_

Damn...even though Yusuke kept holding his stance perfectly, Takashi couldn't help but start _twitching _at that comment-and that silence once again creeping about them...

...

...maybe Tsukasa really was gonna die here. Even if it'd be all three of 'em.

* * *

"I've gotta get a closer view." Konata said.

"I'm coming too." her friend stated, and she followed the short girl as she pushed her way through the rows of students in front of her-again making sure she didn't push the wrong person...

...no one cared, though: their minds were on this fight.

Renji shrugged as the girls moved forward. At around 6'0, he was to see past everyone right in front of him anyway.

When Konata and Miyuki made their way to the front, they could see Takashi and Yusuke clearly.

Too clearly. They didn't want to be distractions in case the two faced the crowd, so they moved a bit to the side, letting others get a better view where Miyuki was.

But they'd ran out the clock.

"Time's up." said Tsukasa.

...

Konata was clenching her fists over this waiting anxiously. She wanted to step in and do something...but she had a feeling the time would be soon.

She just had to make sure she _got there _in time...

"Well, you two..." Tsukasa said, shifting her weight again, raising her arms again...

Miyuki put her hand on Konata's shoulder when the girl nodded.

_"Konata..."_ she whispered...

...

_"...yeah..."_

...

* * *

_"...I hope you're ready." / "...I hope you're ready."_


End file.
